i 


THE    IVORY    SNUFF    BOX 


UNIV.  OF 


No — no!"  she  cried  in  a  tense  whisper.     "Let  him  alone. 


IVORY 
SNUFF 


W.  J.WATT  6  CDMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,   1912,  by 
W.  J.  WATT  &  COMPANY 


Published  October. 


PRESS    OF 

BRAUNWORTH   ft    CO. 

BOOKBINDERS    AND    PRINTERS 

BROOKLYN,   N.   Y. 


THE   IVORY   SNUFF    BOX 


2129586 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  last  thing  that  sounded  in  Richard  Duvall's 
ears  as  he  left  the  office  of  Monsieur  Lefevre, 
Prefect  of  Police  of  Paris,  were  the  latter's  words, 
spoken  in  a  voice  of  mingled  confidence  and  alarm, 
"  The  fortunes  of  a  nation  may  depend  upon  your 
faithfulness.  Go,  and  God  be  with  you."  He  en- 
tered the  automobile  which  was  drawn  up  alongside 
the  curb,  and  accompanied  by  Vernet,  one  of  the  Pre- 
fect's assistants,  was  soon  threading  the  torrent  of 
traffic  which  pours  through  the  Rue  de  Rivoli. 

The  thoughts  which  lay  uppermost  in  the  detect- 
ive's mind  were  of  Grace,  his  wife;  Grace  Ellicott, 
who  had  become  Grace  Duvall  but  little  more  than  an 
hour  before.  By  this  time  he  had  expected  to  be  on 
his  way  to  Cherbourg,  en  route  to  New  York,  with 
Grace  by  his  side.  They  had  looked  forward  so  hap- 
pily to  their  honeymoon,  on  shipboard,  and  now  •. —  he 

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found  himself  headed  for  London  on  this  mysterious 
expedition,  and  Grace  waiting  for  him  in  vain  at  the 
pension.  The  thought  was  maddening.  He  swore 
softly  to  himself  as  he  looked  out  at  the  crowded 
street. 

Monsieur  Lefevre  had  no  right  to  ask  so  great  a 
sacrifice  of  him,  he  grumbled.  What  if  he  had  dis- 
tinguished himself,  made  himself  the  Prefect's  most 
valued  assistant,  during  the  past  six  or  eight  months  ? 
The  matters  which  had  brought  him  from  New  York 
to  Paris  had  all  been  definitely  concluded  —  Grace 
and  he  were  married  —  his  plans  had  all  been  made, 
to  return  to  America,  and  home.  Now  at  the  last 
moment,  it  was  frightfully  exasperating  to  have  Mon- 
sieur Lefevre  insist  that  matters  of  so  grave  a  nature 
had  occurred,  that  the  honor  of  his  very  country  was 
at  stake,  and  to  call  upon  him,  Duvall,  as  the  one 
man  who  could  set  matters  right.  Of  course,  it  was 
very  flattering,  but  he  wanted,  not  flattery,  but  Grace, 
and  all  the  happiness  which  lay  before  them.  What, 
after  all,  was  this  matter,  this  affair  so  vague  and 
mysterious,  into  which  he  had  so  unexpectedly  been 
thrown?  He  drew  out  the  instructions  which  the 
Perfect  had  hurriedly  thrust  into  his  hands,  and  looked 
at  them  with  eager  curiosity. 

8 


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They  covered  but  one  side  of  a  small  sheet  of  paper. 
"Visit  immediately  number  87,  Rue  de  Richelieu," 
they  said.  "  It  is  a  small  curio  shop.  Monsieur  Du- 
frenne,  the  proprietor,  expects  you,  and  will  join  you 
at  once.  Proceed  without  delay  to  London  and  re- 
port to  Monsieur  de  Grissac,  the  French  Ambassador. 
He  has  lost  an  ivory  snuff  box,  which  you  must  re- 
cover as  quickly  as  possible.  You  will  find  money 
enclosed  herewith.  Monsieur  Defrenne  you  can  trust 
in  all  things.  God  be  with  you. —  Lef  evre." 

It  was  the  first  time  that  Duvall  had  read  the  in- 
structions. He  had  not  had  an  opportunity  to  do  so 
before.  As  he  concluded  his  examination  of  them, 
his  face  hardened,  his  brow  contracted  in  a  frown, 
and  he  crushed  the  piece  of  paper  in  his  hand.  Was 
this  some  absurd  joke  that  Monsieur  Lef  evre  was  play- 
ing upon  him?  The  idea  of  separating  him  from 
Grace  upon  their  wedding  day,  to  send  him  on  an 
expedition,  the  object  of  which  was  to  recover  a  lost 
snuff  box!  It  seemed  preposterous.  In  his  anger 
he  muttered  an  exclamation  which  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  Vernet.  He  was,  in  fact,  on  the  point  of 
stopping  the  automobile,  and  going  at  once  to  the 
pension  where  Grace  was  waiting  for  him,  her  trunks 
packed  for  their  wedding  journey.  The  impassive 

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face  of  the  Frenchman  beside  him  relaxed  a  trifle, 
as  he  saw  Duvall's  agitation.  "  What  is  it,  Monsieur 
Ihivall  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  this  matter  that 
makes  it  necessary  for  me  to  go  to  London?  "  de- 
manded Duvall. 

"  Nothing,  monsieur,  except  that  your  train 
leaves  — "  he  consulted  his  watch  — "  in  twenty  min- 
utes." 

Duvall  drew  out  a  cigar  and  lit  it,  with  a  gesture 
of  annoyance.  "  The  matter  does  not  appear  very 
important,"  he  grumbled. 

Vernet  permitted  a  slight  smile  to  cross  his  usually 
immobile  face.  "  I  have  been  in  the  service  of  the 
Prefect  for  ten  years,"  he  remarked,  "  and  I  have 
learned  that  he  wastes  very  little  time  upon  unim- 
portant things."  He  leaned  out  and  spoke  to  the 
chauffeur,  and  in  a  moment  the  car  halted  before  a 
dingy  little  shop,  on  the  lower  floor  of  an  old  and 
dilapidated-looking  house.  "  Here  is  the  place  of 
Monsieur  Dufrenne,"  he  remarked  significantly. 

Duvall  threw  open  the  door  of  the  cab,  and  en- 
tered the  dusty  and  cobwebbed  doorway.  He  found 
himself  in  a  small  dimly  lighted  room,  so  crowded 
with  curios  of  all  sorts  that  he  at  first  did  not  per- 

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ceive  the  little  white-haired  old  man  who  bent  over 
a  jeweler's  work  bench  in  one  corner.  The  walls 
were  lined  with  shelves,  upon  which  stood  bits  of 
ivory  and  porcelain,  miniatures  of  all  sorts,  old  pieces 
of  silverware,  bronze  and  copper,  old  coins,  and  rusty 
antique  weapons.  About  the  walls  stood  innumerable 
pictures,  old  and  cracked,  in  dilapidated-looking 
frames,  while  from  the  ceiling  were  suspended  bits 
of  rusty  armor,  swords,  brass  censers,  Chinese  lamps, 
and  innumerable  other  objects,  the  use  of  which  he 
could  scarcely  guess. 

All  these  things  he  saw,  in  a  queer  jumble  of  im- 
pressions, as  his  eyes  swept  the  place.  In  a  moment 
the  little  old  man  in  the  corner  turned,  peering  at 
him  over  his  steel-rimmed  spectacles.  "  You  wish 
to  see  me,  monsieur?  "  he  inquired  in  a  thin,  cracked 
voice. 

"  Yes.  I  am  Richard  Duvall.  I  come  from  Mon- 
sieur the  Prefect  of  Police." 

The  man  at  the  workbench,  on  hearing  these  words, 
rose  to  his  insignificant  height,  dropping  as  he  did 
so  the  watch  over  which  he  had  been  working.  He 
swept  his  tools  into  a  drawer  with  a  single  gesture, 
turned  to  the  wall  behind  him,  drew  on  a  thin  gray 
overcoat  and  a  dark  slouch  hat,  and  stepped  from  be- 
ll 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF,  BOX 

hind  the  counter.  "  I  am  ready,  monsieur,"  he  re- 
marked, without  a  trace  of  agitation  or  excitement. 
"  Let  us  go." 

Duvall  turned  to  the  door  without  further  words, 
and  threw  it  open.  The  old  man  motioned  to  him  to 
pass  out,  and  after  the  detective  had  done  so,  closed 
and  locked  the  door  carefully  and  followed  him  into 
the  cab.  Duvall  observed  that  he  was  frail,  and  un- 
certain in  his  steps,  and  so  bent  from  constant  labor 
over  his  bench,  that  he  gave  one  almost  the  impression 
of  being  hunchbacked.  He  took  his  seat  beside  the 
detective  without  a  word,  and  in  a  moment  the  whole 
party  was  being  driven  rapidly  toward  the  Gare  du 
Nord. 

Duvall  could  not  repress  a  feeling  of  admiration 
for  the  way  in  which  Duf renne  had  received  him.  He 
had  asked  no  questions,  delayed  him  by  no  prepara- 
tions, but  had  merely  thrown  down  his  tools,  put  on 
his  hat,  and  started  out.  The  importance  or  lack 
of  importance  of  the  matters  which  called  him  he 
did  not  inquire  into  —  it  was  evidently  quite  enough, 
that  Monsieur  Lefevre  desired  his  services.  It  made 
the  detective  feel  somewhat  ashamed  of  his  recent  ill 
nature,  yet  he  could  not  but  remember  that  this  was 
his  wedding  day,  and  that  in  leaving  his  wife  with- 


out  even  so  much  as  a  farewell  word,  he  had  given  her 
good  reason  for  doubting  his  love  for  her.  Of  course, 
he  knew,  the  Prefect  had  assured  him  that  he  would 
explain  everything  to  Grace,  but  such  explanations 
were  not  likely  to  appeal  very  strongly  to  a  girl  who 
had  been  married  but  little  more  than  an  hour.  It 
was,  therefore,  in  a  very  dissatisfied  frame  of  mind 
that  he  entered  the  compartment  of  the  train  for 
Boulogne. 

The  compartment  was  a  smoking  one,  and  he  and 
Dufrenne  had  it  all  to  themselves.  The  little  old 
Frenchman  drew  out  a  much-stained  meerschaum  pipe 
and  began  placidly  to  smoke  it.  His  manner  toward 
the  detective  was  respectful,  friendly  indeed,  yet  he 
made  no  attempts  at  conversation,  and  seemed  quite 
satisfied  to  sit  and  gaze  out  of  the  car  window  at  the 
fields  and  villages  as  they  swept  by.  Presently  Du- 
vall  spoke. 

"  Monsieur  Dufrenne,"  he  began,  slowly,  "  you 
are  no  doubt  familiar  with  the  matter  which  takes  us 
to  London?  " 

Dufrenne  withdrew  his  gaze  from  the  window  and 
faced  about  in  his  seat  with  a  nervous  little  gesture 
of  assent.  "  I  understand  that  Monsieur  de  Grissac 
has  been  robbed  of  his  snuff  box,"  he  replied. 

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"  Is  that  all  you  know  ? "  Duvall  inquired 
pointedly.  "  Surely  the  recovery  of  an  article  of  so 
little  consequence  cannot  be  the  real  purpose  of 
our  visit." 

The  little  old  man  shrugged  his  shoulders,  with  an 
almost  inperceptible  gesture  of  dissent.  "  I  know 
nothing  of  the  matter,  monsieur,"  he  remarked,  sig- 
nificantly, "  except  that  my  country  has  called  me, 
and  that  I  am  here."  He  spoke  the  words  proudly, 
as  though  he  considered  the  fact  that  he  had  been 
called  upon  an  honor. 

"  But  surely,  you  must  have  some  idea,  monsieur, 
of  your  purpose  in  being  here  ?  " 

"  Yes.  That  is  indeed  quite  simple.  On  one  oc- 
casion I  was  called  upon  to  repair  the  snuff  box  of 
Monsieur  de  Grissac,  the  Ambassador.  In  that  way 
I  am  familiar  with  its  appearance.  Now  that  it  is 
lost,  I  am  requested  to  accompany  you,  monsieur,  in 
your  attempt  to  recover  it,  in  order  that  I  may  as- 
sist you  in  identifying  it." 

"  And  beyond  that,  you  know  nothing?  " 

"  Nothing,  monsieur." 

Duvall  began  to  chew  the  end  of  his  cigar  in  vex- 
ation. Of  all  the  absurd  expeditions,  this  seemed  the 
most  absurd.  Presently  he  turned  to  Dufrenne  and 

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again  spoke.  "  In  your  repairs  upon  this  snuff  box, 
to  which  so  great  a  value  is  apparently  attached,  did 
you  observe  anything  about  it  of  a  peculiar  nature 
—  anything  to  make  its  loss  a  matter  of  such  grave 
importance  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  monsieur.  It  is  a  small,  round  ivory 
box,  with  a  carved  top,  quite  plain  and  of  little 
value  — " 

"  But  the  contents  ?  What,  perhaps,  did  Monsieur 
de  Grissac  carry  within  it?  " 

"  Snuff,  monsieur.  It  was  quite  half -full  when  it 
came  to  me,  last  April.  Monsieur  de  Grissac  was  in 
Paris  at  the  time.  The  spring  which  actuates  the  top 
had  become  broken  —  the  box  is  very  old,  monsieur  — 
and  I  was  required  to  repair  it.  That  is  all  I  know." 

"  And  you  close  your  shop,  and  leave  Paris  with- 
out a  word,  just  for  a  thing  like  that?  " 

Dufrenne  straightened  his  bent  shoulders,  and  his 
eyes  sparkled.  "  When  France  calls  me,  monsieur,  I 
have  nothing  to  do  but  obey." 

His  reply  seemed  almost  in  the  nature  of  a 
reproof.  Duvall  made  no  further  comment  and  re- 
lapsed into  a  brown  study.  After  all,  he  knew,  even 
in  his  irritation,  that  Monsieur  Lefevre  had  not  sent 
him  upon  this  adventure  without  some  real  and  very 

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good  reason.  Yet  try  as  he  would,  he  was  unable 
to  imagine  what  this  reason  could  be.  Of  course,  there 
must  have  been  something  inside  the  box,  his  final  con- 
clusion was,  else  why  should  any  one  have  stolen  it? 
No  doubt  the  Ambassador,  Monsieur  de  Grissac, 
would  acquaint  him  with  the  truth  of  the  affair.  Pos- 
sibly the  box  may  have  contained  papers  of  great 
value  —  though  why  one  should  choose  such  a  place 
for  the  concealment  of  valuable  papers  he  could  not 
imagine.  The  whole  affair  seemed  shrouded  in  mys- 
tery, and  no  amount  of  speculation  on  his  part,  ap- 
parently, would  throw  any  light  upon  it.  He  lay 
back  in  his  seat,  dozing,  and  thinking  of  Grace  and 
their  interrupted  honeymoon. 

At  Boulogne  they  transferred  to  the  boat  for  Folk- 
stone,  and  after  a  quiet  passage,  found  themselves  on 
board  the  train  for  London.  They  reached  Charing 
Cross  early  in  the  evening,  and  taking  a  cab,  drove 
at  once  to  Monsieur  de  Grissac's  residence  in  Pic- 
cadilly, opposite  Green  Park. 


16 


CHAPTER  II 

WHILE  Richard  Duvall  was  thus  flying  toward 
Boulogne,  racking  his  brains  in  a  futile  at- 
tempt to  discover  the  reasons  for  his  sudden  and  un- 
expected dispatch  to  London,  Grace,  his  wife,  equally 
mystified,  was  proceeding  in  the  direction  of  Brus- 
sels. 

The  reasons  for  her  going  to  Brussels  were  no  more 
clear  to  her  than  were  Richard's,  to  him.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  wedding  breakfast  which  had  fol- 
lowed her  simple  marriage  to  Duvall,  she  had  gone 
to  the  pension  at  which  she  had  been  living,  to  await 
her  husband's  return.  She  had  not  then  understood 
the  mysterious  message  which  had  summoned  him  to 
the  Prefect's  office,  nor,  for  that  matter,  had  he,  but 
he  had  assured  her  that  he  would  return  in  a  short 
while,  and  that  had  been  enough  for  her. 

Her  patient  waiting  had  been  finally  terminated 
by  the  arrival  of  the  Prefect  himself,  who  had  ex- 
plained with  polite  brevity  that  a  matter  of  the 

17, 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

gravest  importance  had  made  it  necessary  for  him 
to  send  Richard  at  once  to  London. 

The  girl's  grief  and  alarm  had  been  great  —  Mon- 
sieur Lefevre  had  at  last,  however,  succeeded  in  con- 
vincing her  that  Richard  could  not  under  the  circum- 
stances have  done  anything  but  go.  His  position  as 
an  assistant  to  Lefevre,  and  more  particularly  the 
friendship  which  existed  between  them,  made  it  im- 
perative for  him  to  come  to  the  Prefect's  assistance  in 
this  crisis. 

What  the  crisis  was,  Grace  did  not  learn.  She 
had  insisted  upon  following  Richard,  upon  being 
near  him,  upon  assisting  him,  should  opportunity 
offer,  and  Monsieur  Lefevre,  seized  with  a  sudden  in- 
spiration, had  dispatched  her  to  Brussels,  with  the 
assurance  that  she  would  not  only  see  her  husband  very 
soon,  but  might  be  able  to  render  both  him,  and 
France,  a  very  signal  service. 

Grace  had  accepted  the  mission;  her  desire  to  be 
near  Richard  was  a  compelling  motive,  and  as  a  re- 
sult she  found  herself  flying  toward  the  Belgian  fron- 
tier, on  an  early  afternoon  express,  with  no  idea 
whatever  of  what  lay  before  her,  and  only  a  few 
words,  written  by  Monsieur  Lefevre  upon  a  page  torn 
from  his  notebook,  to  govern  her  future  actions. 

18 


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She  luckily  was  able  to  find  a  compartment  in  one 
of  the  first-class  carriages  where  she  could  be  alone, 
and  sank  back  upon  the  cushioned  seat,  determined 
to  face  whatever  dangers  the  future  might  hold,  for 
the  sake  of  her  husband. 

Her  mind  traveled,  in  retrospect,  over  the  events  of 
the  past  few  months  —  the  conspiracy  against  her,  by 
her  step-uncle,  Count  d'Este,  by  which  he  had  so 
nearly  deprived  her  of  the  fortune  left  to  her  by 
her  aunt,  and  the  striking  way  in  which  his  plans  had 
been  upset  by  Richard  Duvall.  She  had  loved  him 
at  their  very  first  meeting,  and  now  that  they  had 
become  husband  and  wife,  she  loved  him  more  than 
ever.  It  is  small  wonder  that  the  thought  of  the  way 
in  which  he  had  been  suddenly  torn  from  her,  on  the 
eve  of  their  wedding  journey,  brought  tears  to  her 
eyes. 

Presently  she  regained  her  composure  and  looked 
at  the  sheet  of  paper  which  the  Prefect  had  handed 
to  her.  It  contained  but  a  few  words :  "  Proceed  to 
the  Hotel  Metropole,  Brussels.  Take  a  room  in  the 
name  of  Grace  Ellicott,  and  wait  further  instruc- 
tions." That  was  all  —  no  hint  of  how  or  when  she 
and  Richard  were  to  meet,  or  what  had  been  the  cause 
of  their  separation.  Once  more  the  cruelty  of  the 

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situation  brought  tears  to  her  eyes.  While  feeling 
in  her  handbag  for  her  handkerchief,  she  drew  out 
the  small  silver  ring  which  the  Prefect  had  handed 
to  her  at  the  last  moment.  "  Trust  any  one,"  he  had 
said.  "  who  comes  to  you  with  such  a  token  as  this." 
She  examined  the  ring  carefully,  but  the  singular  de- 
vice worked  in  gold  upon  the  silver  band,  meant  noth- 
ing to  her.  At  length  she  placed  the  ring  carefully 
upon  her  finger,  and  proceeded  to  cover  it  by  putting 
on  her  glove. 

For  a  long  time  she  sat,  speculating  upon  the 
strange  workings  of  fate,  which  doomed  her  to  be 
thus  speeding  alone  to  Brussels,  instead  of  to  Cher- 
bourg, en  route  to  America,  with  Richard  by  her 
side.  The  sight  of  two  lovers,  who  boarded  the  train 
at  St.  Quentin,  increased  her  dissatisfaction.  They 
came  into  the  compartment,  evidently  quite  wrapped 
up  in  each  other,  and  even  the  presence  of  a  third 
person  did  not  prevent  them  from  holding  each  other's 
hands  under  the  cover  of  a  friendly  magazine,  and 
gazing  at  each  other  with  longing  eyes.  Grace  was 
quite  unable  to  endure  the  sight  of  their  happiness  — 
she  turned  away  and  buried  herself  in  her  thoughts. 

Presently  the  adventure-loving  side  of  her  nature 
began  to  assert  itself.  Richard  had  been  sent  on  a 

20 


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mission  of  the  greatest  importance  —  one  involving, 
Monsieur  Lefevre  had  told  her,  the  honor  of  both 
his  country  and  himself.  And  she  was  to  share  it 
—  to  take  part  in  its  excitement,  its  dangers.  The 
thought  stirred  all  her  love  of  the  mysterious,  the  un- 
usual. After  all,  since  she  had  become  the  wife  of 
a  man  whose  profession  in  life  was  the  detection  of 
crime,  should  she  not  herself  take  an  interest,  an  ac- 
tive part  in  his  work,  and  thereby  encourage  and  as- 
sist him?  The  thought  made  her  impatient  of  all 
delay  —  she  felt  herself  almost  trying  to  urge  the 
train  to  quicker  motion  —  she  was  glad  when  at  last 
they  roared  into  the  station  at  Brussels. 

Grace  had  never  before  been  in  the  Belgian  capital, 
but  she  summoned  a  cab,  and  proceeded  without  diffi- 
culty to  the  Hotel  Metropole.  Here  she  was  assigned 
to  a  small  suite,  and  at  once  began  to  unpack  the 
steamer  trunk  which  was  the  only  baggage  she  had 
brought  with  her.  It  was  after  four  o'clock  when  she 
had  completed  this  task,  and  had  removed  the  stains 
of  travel  and  changed  her  gown.  As  she  came  into  the 
tiny  parlor  which  formed  the  second  of  the  two  rooms 
of  the  suite,  she  heard  a  tapping  at  the  door,  and 
upon  opening  it,  discovered  one  of  the  hotel  maids, 
waiting  outside  with  fresh  towels.  The  girl  came  in, 

21 


and  busied  herself  setting  to  rights  the  toilet  articles 
on  the  washstand.  Grace,  who  was  engaged  in  list- 
lessly watching  the  traffic  in  the  square  outside,  paid 
no  attention  to  her.  Presently  she  heard  the  girl 
come  in  from  the  bedroom,  and  inquire  if  there  was 
anything  else  that  she  could  do  for  her.  "  Noth- 
ing," she  replied,  without  turning.  The  maid,  how- 
ever, did  not  leave  the  room,  but  stood  near  by,  observ- 
ing her.  Grace  faced  about.  "  That  is  all,"  she 
said  sharply. 

"  I  have  something  to  say  to  you,  mademoiselle," 
the  girl  whispered  in  a  low  tone,  as  she  took  a  step 
forward.  "  A  message  from  Monsieur  Lef evre." 

"  Monsieur  Lef  evre?     You?  " 

"  Yes,  mademoiselle,  I  am  in  his  confidence.  I 
know  the  purpose  of  your  visit  here,  and  I  come  to 
give  you  further  instructions."  She  spoke  quietly, 
impressively,  and  Grace  was  convinced  that  she  was 
what  she  represented  herself  to  be.  Still,  she  felt  the 
necessity  of  caution.  "  Please  explain,"  she  re- 
marked, without  further  committing  herself. 

The  girl  approached  still  closer,  and  reaching  into 
the  bosom  of  her  dress,  drew  out  a  ring  similar  to  the 
one  which  the  Prefect  had  given  Grace.  It  was  at- 
tached to  a  bit  of  ribbon.  She  glanced  at  the  ring 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

on  Grace's  finger  and  smiled.  "  May  I  suggest, 
mademoiselle,"  she  said,  "  that  you  place  the  ring  you 
are  wearing  where  it  will  be  less  conspicuous  ?  " 

Grace  colored  slightly  at  the  criticism  which  the 
woman's  words  implied,  but  drew  the  ring  from  her 
finger  and  placed  it  in  her  purse.  "  What  have  you 
to  say  to  me?  "  she  inquired. 

"  This,  mademoiselle.  Certain  persons,  whose 
identity  is  not  known  to  the  police,  have  committed  a 
theft  in  London  —  in  fact,  have  stolen  a  valuable 
article  from  the  French  Ambassador  there,  Monsieur 
de  Grissac.  This  theft  was  committed  this  morning." 

"  What  did  they  steal?  "  asked  Grace. 

"  Monsieur  de  Grissac's  ivory  snuff  box,  mademoi- 
selle." 

"  His  snuff  box  ?  You  donrt  mean  to  say  that  they 
are  making  all  this  fuss  over  a  trifling  thing  like  a 
snuff  box?  " 

"  Yes,  mademoiselle.     Such  is,  indeed,  the  case." 

"But  why?" 

"  That  I  cannot  tell.  I  do  not  know.  It  is  suffi- 
cient to  me  that  Monsieur  Lefevre  wishes  it  recov- 
ered. In  our  service,  mademoiselle,  we  are  not 
supposed  to  ask  questions,  but  to  obey  orders." 

Grace  repressed  her  annoyance  as  best  she  could. 
23 


"  I  suppose  it  must  be  very  valuable,"  she  remarked, 
lamely. 

"  Undoubtedly.  Very  valuable,  as  you  say.  Now 
that  it  is  stolen,  it  must  be  recovered  without  delay. 
Monsieur  Lefevre  informs  us  here  in  Brussels  that 
others  have  gone  to  London  to  recover  it.  Should 
they  fail  to  do  so  —  we  believe  that  the  persons  who 
have  committed  the  theft  will  come  here." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  they  are  acting,  we  believe,  in  the  in- 
terests of  a  certain  Dr.  Hartmann,  who  is  a  resident 
of  Brussels." 

"  Why  should  this  Dr.  Hartmann  want  the  box?  " 
asked  Grace,  somewhat  mystified. 

"  That  I  am  unable  to  tell  you.  He  is  an  enemy 
of  my  country.  He  has  many  agents,  and  is  a  man 
of  great  power." 

"  But  why  don't  you  arrest  him?  " 

"  Alas,  mademoiselle,  you  do  not  understand.  This 
Dr.  Hartmann  is  a  physician  of  great  prominence. 
His  cures  of  nervous  and  mental  disorders  have  made 
him  famous  throughout  Europe.  He  has  in  Brussels 
—  just  outside  the  city,  a  sanatorium,  where  he  re- 
ceives and  treats  his  patients.  He  is  looked  up  to 
by  all.  His  work  as  an.  enemy  of  France  is  quite 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

secret,  known  to  but  a  few.  Even  we  know  very  little 
about  it." 

"  Then  how  do  you  know  that  he  had  anything  to 
do  with  the  matter  of  this  snuff  box?  " 

"  We  do  not  know  it  —  we  only  surmise.  There  is 
a  reason,  which  I  am  not  permitted  at  present  to  tell 
you,  which  causes  Monsieur  Lefevre  to  believe  that 
Dr.  Hartmann  had  a  hand  in  this  matter.  It  is  for 
that  reason,  indeed,  that  he  has  sent  you  here." 

"What  can  I  do?" 

"  I  will  tell  you.  For  a  long  time  we  have  tried 
to  get  one  of  our  own  agents  into  Dr.  Hartmann's 
house,  but  without  success.  He  is  very  shrewd  — 
very  cautious.  All  his  servants  are  countrymen  of 
his,  upon  whom  he  knows  he  can  depend.  His  pa- 
tients are  people  of  wealth,  position,  standing,  who, 
he  knows,  could  not  possibly  be  agents  of  the  French 
police.  He  will  take  no  others,  and  always  insists 
upon  the  strictest  references.  It  is  for  these  rea- 
sons that  we  have  failed.  Now  an  opportunity  pre- 
sents itself  for  you,  mademoiselle,  to  accomplish  that 
which  the  police  cannot  accomplish.  You  are  an 
American  girl,  of  prominent  family,  of  wealth,  of  posi- 
tion. I  am  informed  that  your  aunt,  by  her  second 
marriage,  was  the  Countess  d'Este.  Should  you 

25 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

apply  to  Dr.  Hartmann  for  treatment,  you  will  have 
no  difficulty  in  obtaining  admission,  for  he  could  not, 
by  any  chance,  think  that  Miss  Grace  Ellicott,  of  New 
York,  was  in  the  employ  of  the  French  secret  police. 
You  observe,  mademoiselle,  Monsieur  the  Prefect's  ob- 
ject in  sending  you  to  Brussels?  " 

Grace  nodded.  She  was  beginning  to  feel  a  keen 
interest  in  the  matter.  "  But  I  am  not  ill,"  she  said, 
with  a  laugh.  "  How  can  I  ask  Dr.  Hartmann  to 
treat  me?  " 

"  We  have  thought  of  that.  The  matter  has  been 
under  consideration  ever  since  we  were  advised,  early 
this  afternoon,  that  you  were  coming.  We  have 
thought  it  best  that  you  represent  yourself  to  the 
doctor  as  a  somnambulist." 

"  A  sleep  walker  ?  " 

"  Precisely.  It  is  a  form  of  nervous  trouble  which 
is  by  no  means  infrequent.  We  are  informed  that 
Dr.  Hartmann  has  treated  several  such  cases  in  the 
past.  There  are  not  symptoms,  except  a  state  of 
nervousness  on  the  part  of  the  patient  which  in  your 
case  it  is  probable  the  excitement  of  the  enterprise 
will  supply,  and,  of  course,  the  tendency  to  walking 
in  the  sleep.  This  latter  you  must  assume." 

"  Assume?  " 


-  THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  Yes.  You  must  pretend  to  be  a  somnambulist. 
You  must  get  up,  each  night,  at  some  hour,  and 
wander  about  the  house  —  pretending  to  be  oblivious 
of  all  about  you.  You  are  not  normally  conscious. 
You  are  in  a  walking  dream.  Your  eyes  are  fixed 
ahead  —  seeing  no  one.  It  will  not  be  difficult  for 
you  to  pretend  all  this  —  and  naturally,  by  wandering 
about  in  this  way,  you  may  —  we  hope  you  will  — 
have  excellent  opportunities  to  observe  what  goes  on 
within  the  doctor's  walls." 

"Is  that  all  I  am  to  do  —  just  watch?  n 

"  I  think  not.  If  we  are  unable,  by  other  means, 
to  prevent  the  stolen  box  from  being  delivered  to  Dr. 
Hartmann,  it  must  be  recovered  from  him,  at  any  cost 
—  at  any  cost  whatever  — "  the  woman  repeated, 
significantly.  "  Even  life  itself  cannot  be  spared,  in 
this  case.  The  box  must  be  recovered,  no  matter  what 
the  price  we  pay  —  so  we  are  informed  by  Monsieur 
Lefevre." 

"  Then  if  it  should  pass  into  his  possession,  I  may 
have  to  steal  it  ?  Is  that  what  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly,  and  at  the  very  first  opportunity." 
The  girl  rose,  gathered  up  the  soiled  towels  which  she 
had  taken  from  the  bedroom,  and  went  toward  the  door. 
"  That  is  all,  mademoiselle,  except  that  you  will  com- 

27 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

municate  to  us  any  news  of  importance  by  means  of 
a  young  man  who  goes  to  the  house  each  morning  and 
evening  to  deliver  bread.  He  comes  in  a  small  wagon, 
and  you  will  no  doubt  be  able  to  speak  with  him, 
as  he  enters  or  leaves  the  grounds.  He  is  quite  safe, 
and  can  be  trusted.  Address  your  communications 
to  him  verbally  —  no  letters,  understand ;  they  are  al- 
ways dangerous.  And  now,  let  me  suggest  that  you 
arrange  to  see  Dr.  Hartmann  at  once." 

"  But  —  he  may  require  reference  —  credentials." 

"  We  have  thought  of  that,  and  have  prepared  the 
way.  One  of  our  men  has  ascertained  that  the  United 
States  Minister  here  is  acquainted  with  you  —  that 
your  family  is  known  to  him.  Your  aunt,  you  will 
remember,  was  quite  prominent  in  society,  in  New 
York,  at  the  time  she  married  Monsieur  the  Count 
d'Este.  Whether  the  Minister  is  acquainted  with 
you  personally,  we  have  not  been  able  to  learn,  but 
that  he  knows  who  you  are,  is  certain." 

"  Then  I  had  best  call  upon  him,  and  arrange  for 
letters  to  Dr.  Hartmann." 

"  That  is  the  best  course.  His  house  is  near  by. 
Take  a  cab  at  once,  go  to  him,  and  state  your  errand. 
You  will  have  no  difficulty,  I  feel  sure."  She  noise- 
lessly opened  the  door,  and  in  a  moment  was  gone, 

28 


leaving  Grace  in  a  state  of  wonder.  She  did  not 
waste  much  time,  however,  in  speculating  upon  the 
curious  affair  in  which  she  found  herself  involved,  but 
putting  on  her  hat,  started  off  at  once  in  search  of  the 
American  Minister. 


CHAPTER  III 

WHEN  Richard  Duvall  and  his  companion  en- 
tered the  house  of  the  French  Ambassador  in 
London,  it  was  evident  that  their  arrival  was  ex- 
pected. The  detective  had  no  more  than  given  his 
name  to  the  butler  who  threw  open  the  door,  when 
the  latter,  with  a  bow  of  recognition,  conducted  them 
to  a  small  reception-room  to  the  right  of  the  entrance, 
and  informed  them  that  Monsieur  de  Grissac  would 
see  them  at  once. 

They  did  not  have  long  to  wait.  The  Ambassador, 
a  thin,  spare,  nervous-looking  man  of  sixty,  with  white 
hair  and  a  gray-white  mustache,  came  hurriedly  into 
the  room  after  but  a  few  moments  had  elapsed,  and 
greeting  them  excitedly,  bade  them  be  seated.  He 
himself  remained  standing,  his  back  to  the  fireplace, 
twirling  his  eyeglasses  at  the  end  of  their  black  silk 
ribbon,  and  observing  his  visitors  keenly. 

"  Monsieur  Lefevre  had  informed  me  of  your  com- 
ing, gentlemen,"  he  presently  burst  out.  "  We  have 
no  time  to  lose." 

30 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  Let  us  have  the  details  of  the  affair,  monsieur," 
Duvall  remarked,  seating  himself  comfortably  in  his 
chair.  "  So  far  we  are  completely  in  the  dark." 

"  You  know,  do  you  not,  that  a  valuable  article,  a 
small  snuff  box,  to  be  exact  —  has  been  stolen  from 
me?  " 

"  Yes.  Of  that  I  have  been  informed,"  the  detect- 
ive remarked,  dryly.  "  I  am  curious  to  learn  why 
the  loss  of  an  article  of  so  trivial  a  nature  should  be 
regarded  with  such  seriousness." 

The  Ambassador's  eyes  snapped  —  he  seemed  al- 
most to  resent  the  detective's  attitude.  "  It  should  be 
sufficient,  monsieur,  I  think,  that  it  is  so  regarded. 
The  task  before  us  is  to  recover  it  —  not  discuss  the 
reasons  for  doing  so." 

"  I  disagree  with  you,  monsieur.  If  the  real  value 
of  the  stolen  article  is  kept  from  me,  how  can  I  draw 
any  conclusions  as  to  the  probable  object  of  its  theft? 
Was  it  intrinsically  valuable?  Did  it  contain  any- 
thing of  value?  In  short,  why  should  any  one  have 
taken  the  trouble  to  steal  it?  Tell  me  that,  and  I  can 
act  intelligently.  Otherwise,  I  shall  be  only  groping 
about  in  the  dark." 

"  I  do  not  think  so,  monsieur."  The  Ambassador 
bent  upon  Duvall  a  searching  glance.  "  The  fact  that 

31 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

the  box  is  gone  should  be  sufficient.  All  that  I  ask 
is  that  you  recover  it.  You  must  trace  its  disappear- 
ance from  the  material  facts  of  the  case.  Conjecture 
will  avail  us  nothing." 

"  Is  the  box  then  of  no  value  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  said  so.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  its  value 
is  great.  It  has  been  an  heirloom  in  my  family  for 
many  years.  At  one  time  it  belonged  to  Cardinal 
Mazarin." 

"  You  think,  then,  that  its  intrinsic  value  alone 
might  have  prompted  the  theft?  " 

"  I  think  so  —  indeed,  I  very  greatly  hope  so." 

"Why?" 

The  Ambassador  recovered  himself  with  a  start. 
Evidently  he  had  said  more  than  he  intended.  It  was 
some  time  before  he  answered  the  question  and  then  he 
did  so  lamely.  "  Its  theft  by  someone  interested  in 
its  value  as  a  curiosity  would  enable  me  to  recover 
it  most  readily  —  by  the  payment,  of  course,  of  a  sum 
of  money." 

"  True.  But  I  assume,  from  what  you  say,  that 
there  might  be  other  reasons;  that  it  might  have 
been  taken  by  those  who  suspected  that  it  had  an- 
other value?  " 

For  a  moment  Monsieur  de  Grissac  appeared  con- 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

fused.  Then  he  waved  his  hand  impatiently. 
"  There  are  those,"  he  said,  "  who  seek  to  injure  me. 
They  know  that  I  prized  this  thing  highly.  Their 
motive  may  have  been  —  not  money,  but  revenge.  In 
that  case,  its  recovery  will  be  vastly  more  difficult." 

Duvall  saw  that  Monsieur  de  Grissac  was  not  being 
frank  with  him,  and  for  a  moment  he  was  conscious 
of  a  deep  sense  of  annoyance.  Monsieur  Lefevre 
had,  heretofore,  invariably  taken  him  into  his  con- 
fidence. He  controlled  his  feelings,  however,  and  ap- 
peared to  be  satisfied  with  the  Ambassador's  expla- 
nations. "  What  did  the  box  contain,  Monsieur  de 
Grissac,"  he  asked,  pleasantly. 

"  A  quantity  of  snuff,  monsieur." 

"Nothing  else?" 

"  Nothing." 

"  Oh !  And  you,  monsieur,  are  in  the  habit  of  using 
snuff?  " 

"  Yes.  It  is  the  only  form  in  which  I  use  tobacco. 
Old-fashioned,  perhaps,  but  I  belong  to  the  older 
generation."  He  straightened  himself  up  suddenly. 
"  Let  us  proceed,  gentlemen.  I  fear  we  are  wasting 
valuable  time." 

Duvall  nodded.  "  Permit  me  to  ask  you  a  few 
more  questions." 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  I  am  at  your  service,  monsieur." 

"  When  did  you  last  see  the  box?  " 

"  This  morning,  at  nine  o'clock.  I  always  carry 
it  in  the  right-hand  pocket  of  my  waistcoat.  To  in- 
sure its  safety,  I  had  it  attached  to  a  long  gold  chain, 
which  was  securely  fastened  to  the  inside  of  the 
pocket.  I  rose  this  morning  somewhat  late,  having 
attended  a  banquet  last  night.  After  having  my 
coffee  and  rolls  in  my  bedroom,  I  went  to  my  dress- 
ing-room to  be  shaved.  As  I  did  so,  I  paused  for  a 
moment,  drew  the  snuff  box  from  the  pocket  of  my 
white  evening  waistcoat,  which  my  valet  had  hung  in 
a  closet  the  night  before,  and  took  a  pinch  of  snuff 
from  it.  I  then  replaced  it  in  the  pocket  and  entered 
the  dressing-room  adjoining,  where  Noel,  my  man, 
was  waiting  for  me.  He  proceeded  to  shave  me  as 
usual,  and  I  began  to  dress.  Upon  going  to  the 
closet  in  my  bedroom  to  remove  the  box,  and  fasten 
it  by  means  of  the  chain  to  the  clasp  in  the  pocket 
of  the  waistcoat  I  had  just  put  on,  I  was  amazed 
to  find  it  gone.  I  at  once  summoned  Noel  — " 

"  Summoned  him  ? "  interrupted  the  detective. 
"  Was  he  not  with  you  in  the  room?  " 

"  No.  A  few  moments  before  —  as  soon,  in  fact, 
34 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

as  I  had  completed  dressing,  he  left  the  apartment 
to  give  some  instructions  to  my  chauffeur." 

"  What  did  you  do  then?  "  • 

"  I  at  once  rushed  out  into  the  hall,  calling  for 
Noel." 

"  You  believed,  then,  that  he  had  taken  the  box  ?  " 

"  I  could  believe  nothing  else.  No  one  but  he  had 
been  in  my  rooms." 

"  Oh !     I  see.     And  you  questioned  him  ?  " 

"  Yes.  On  reaching  the  hall  I  met  one  of  the  maids 
ascending  the  stairway.  I  called  to  her,  asking  if  she 
had  seen  Noel.  She  had  not.  She  had  been  in  the 
servants'  hall  —  talking  with  the  chauffeur  —  Noel 
had  not  been  there." 

"What  did  you  do  then?  " 

"  I  rushed  to  his  room,  which  is  on  the  floor  above, 
thinking  that,  if  he  had  taken  the  box,  and  proposed 
to  deny  the  fact,  he  would  have  gone  there  to  secrete 
it." 

"  Would  he  not  have  been  more  likely  to  leave  the 
house  immediately  since  he  knew  you  would  discover 
your  loss  at  once?  " 

"  No.  He  would  realize  that  to  flee  would  be  to 
admit  his  guilt.  He  could  not  have  gone  more  than 

35 


a  few  hundred  feet.     Capture  would  have  been  in- 
evitable." 

"  Did  you  find  the  man  in  the  room?  " 

"  He  was  just  leaving  it  as  I  came  up." 

"What  did  you  do  then?  " 

"  I  ordered  him  back  into  the  room,  and  questioned 
him  sharply.  He  denied  all  knowledge  of  the  matter, 
and  appeared  to  be  deeply  hurt  at  my  suspicions." 

"  Did  you  believe  him?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  The  matter  is  incomprehensible. 
Noel  has  been  in  my  service  for  eight  years.  I  sup- 
posed him  absolutely  incorruptible  —  absolutely  hon- 
est. He  also  insists  that  after  I  left  the  bedroom, 
and  came  into  the  dressing-room  to  be  shaved,  he  did 
not  leave  me,  nor  again  enter  the  bedroom;  in  which 
case,  he  could  not  have  committed  the  theft." 

"Is  this  true?" 

"  So  far  as  I  can  remember,  it  is."  He  spoke  in 
a  slightly  hesitating  way,  and  Duvall  at  once  noticed 
it.  "  You  are,  then,  not  absolutely  sure  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  feel  confident  that  Noel  did  not  leave  me,  nor 
enter  the  bedroom.  If  I  hesitated  for  a  moment,  it 
arose  from  the  fact  that  on  one  or  two  occasions 
I  have  fallen  asleep  while  being  shaved,  but  this  morn- 
ing I  am  quite  sure  that  I  did  not  do  so." 

36 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  Yet  you  were  up  late  last  night,  and  awoke  feel- 
ing sleepy  and  tired." 

"Yes."  The  Ambassador  nodded.  "That  is 
true." 

"  Is  there  any  other  door  to  the  bedroom  ?  " 

"  None,  except  that  which  opens  into  my  bath. 
The  bath-room  has  no  windows.  It  is  an  inside 
room." 

"  And  the  bedroom  ?  " 

"  It  has  two  windows,  facing  upon  the  adjoining 
property.  There  is  quite  thirty  feet  of  space  between 
the  two  buildings  and  the  windows  are  at  least  twenty- 
five  feet  from  the  ground." 

"  What  room  is  above?  " 

"  A  guest's  chamber,  unused  and  locked." 

Duvall  rose  and  began  to  stride  up  and  down  the 
room,  chewing  viciously  upon  his  unlighted  cigar. 
"  After  you  finished  questioning  the  man,  what  did 
you  do  then  ?  " 

"  I  searched  his  room  thoroughly,  and  made  him 
turn  out  the  contents  of  his  pockets,  his  trunk  and 
bureau  drawers." 

"  And  you  found  —  ?  " 

"  Nothing.  That  was  before  noon  to-day.  Since 
then,  I  have  kept  the  man  locked  in  his  room,  await- 

37 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

ing  your  coming.     One  of  the  other  servants  has  re- 
mained on  guard  outside  his  door  ever  since." 

"  You  did  not,  then,  notify  the  police?  " 

"  No.  The  matter  is  one  that,  for  reasons  of  my 
own,  I  do  not  wish  to  become  public." 

"  Has  anything  been  heard  from  your  prisoner 
since  this  morning?  " 

"  Yes.  He  asked  for  pen  and  ink  about  one  o'clock 
this  afternoon.  I  went  up  to  see  him,  to  find  out 
why  he  wanted  them.  He  seemed  deeply  affected,  was 
almost  in  tears,  and  apparently  afraid  to  meet  my 
gaze.  He  said  he  wished  to  write  a  note,  breaking 
an  engagement  he  had  had  for  this  afternoon.  He 
usually  had  Wednesday  afternoons  off.  I  permitted 
him  to  write  the  letter." 

Duvall  began  to  show  signs  of  deep  interest  on  hear- 
ing this.  "  Where  is  it?  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  What,  monsieur?  "  The  Ambassador  evidently 
did  not  follow  him. 

"  The  letter." 

"  I  sent  it,  of  course." 

"  But  you  read  it  first?  " 

"  Yes.  It  was  addressed  to  a  man  named  Seltz, 
Oscar  Seltz,  if  I  recollect  correctly,  at  a  barber  shop 
in  Piccadilly  Circus,  which,  as  you  know,  is  close  by. 

38 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

This  fellow  Seltz  was  a  friend  of  Noel's.  I  have 
several  times  heard  him  speak  of  him.  They  were 
accustomed  to  spend  their  afternoons  off  together,  I 
understand." 

"  And  the  note  ? "  asked  Duvall,  impatiently. 
"What  did  it  say?" 

"  Merely  that  Noel  was  unable  to  keep  his  appoint- 
ment for  that  afternoon,  and  did  not  expect  to  see 
his  friend  again  before  his  departure.  Seltz  must 
have  been  planning  some  trip.  The  letter,  as  I  re- 
member, was  quite  cool,  almost  unfriendly  in  its  tone." 

Duvall  glanced  at  his  watch.  "  This  was  about 
one  o'clock  you  say  ?  " 

"  Yes.  The  matter  lias  no  significance.  We  are 
wasting  our  time  discussing  it." 

"  On  the  contrary,  monsieur,  I  fear  it  may  have 
had  the  greatest  significance.  That  letter  should 
never  have  been  delivered.  Even  now,  it  may  be  too 
late  to  prevent  the  consequences.  Be  so  good,  mon- 
sieur, as  to  conduct  me  to  this  man  Noel's  room  at 
once."  He  turned  to  Dufrenne.  "  You  will  accom- 
pany us,  of  course,  Monsieur  Dufrenne,"  he  said,  then 
followed  the  Ambassador  toward  the  hall. 

In  a  few  moments  they  reached  the  third  floor  of 
the  house,  and  passed  along  a  short  hall  which  gave 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

entrance  to  a  rear  extension  of  the  building,  in  which 
the  servants'  quarters  were  located.  At  the  entrance 
of  the  hall,  a  maid  was  seated  upon  a  stool,  read- 
ing a  book.  She  rose  as  the  others  approached,  and 
stood  respectfully  aside. 

"  Has  anything  been  heard  from  Noel?  "  the  Am- 
bassador asked.  "  Has  he  asked  for  anything  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  monsieur.  He  has  been  quiet  ever  since 
six  o'clock,  when  I  took  him  his  supper." 

"  What  was  he  doing  when  you  entered?  " 

"  Writing,  monsieur.  He  was  sitting  at  the  table, 
with  a  pen  in  his  hand,  and  he  looked  up  and  told 
me  to  put  the  tray  on  the  trunk.  '  I  shall  ask  you 
to  take  this  letter  to  Monsieur  de  Grissac  as  soon  as 
I  have  finished  it,'  he  said.  Since  then  I  have  heard 
nothing  from  him." 

Duvall  had  preceded  the  Ambassador  and  Du- 
frenne  to  the  door  at  the  end  of  the  short  hall,  and 
stood  listening  intently.  In  a  moment,  De  Grissac 
came  up,  and,  unlocking  the  door,  threw  it  open.  The 
room  was  dimly  illuminated  by  a  single  candle,  which 
smoked  and  guttered  in  its  socket,  apparently  nearly 
burned  out.  Nothing  was  at  first  to  be  seen  of  the 
valet.  Duvall  stepped  forward,  then  turned  quickly 

40 


Duvall,  dropping  on  one  knee  beside  the  body,  felt  for  the  man's  heart. 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

and  spoke.  "  Shut  the  door,  please,"  he  said  in  a 
tense  voice. 

Dufrenne  did  so,  while  the  Ambassador  strode  for- 
ward and  followed  Duvall's  gaze  with  a  look  of  horror. 
On  the  floor  beside  the  bed,  and  to  the  far  side  of 
the  room  from  the  door,  lay  the  body  of  the  unfor- 
tunate valet,  his  face,  ghastly  pale,  turned  toward  the 
ceiling.  But  it  was  neither  the  sight  of  the  man  lying 
there,  apparently  dead,  nor  the  agonized  expression 
of  his  face,  which  caused  both  the  Ambassador  and 
Duvall  to  start  back  with  exclamations  of  surprise. 
Across  the  man's  lips  was  a  great,  dull-red  blotch, 
which  at  first  appeared  to  be  a  clot  of  blood,  but 
which  seemed,  from  its  circular  form  and  regular  con- 
tour, more  like  a  huge  seal.  And  seal  it  was.  Duvall, 
dropping  on  one  knee  beside  the  body,  felt  for  the 
man's  heart,  at  the  same  time  looking  closely  at  the 
mark  upon  his  lips.  He  was  quite  dead,  and  had  ap- 
parently been  so  for  an  hour  or  two.  The  blot  upon 
his  face  was  a  great  lump  of  red  sealing  wax,  tightly 
binding  together  his  lips,  and  upon  it  was  the  coarse 
imprint  of  a  man's  forefingers. 

The  Ambassador  shrank  back  with  a  cry,  as  his 
eyes  fell  upon  the  ghastly  sight.  Dufrenne  gazed 

41 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

at  the  dead  man  impassively.  Duvall,  springing  to 
his  feet,  went  at  once  to  the  window  at  the  rear  of  the 
room,  which  stood  partly  open,  and  raising  it  to  its 
full  extent,  looked  out.  The  others  heard  him  give 
utterance  to  a  low  whistle,  as  he  drew  back  into  the 
room. 

"  No  one  could  have  entered  the  room,"  cried  the 
Ambassador,  in  a  frightened  voice.  "  It  is  thirty-five 
feet  or  more  to  the  ground." 

Duvall  motioned  to  the  window.  "  Look  out,  mon- 
sieur," he  remarked,  quietly. 

De  Grissac  did  so,  then  uttered  a  sudden  cry. 
From  the  window  to  the  garden  below  stretched  a  long 
slender  wooden  ladder.  "  It  belongs  to  the  men  who 
have  been  repairing  the  rain  spouting,"  he  exclaimed. 
"  They  leave  it  in  the  garden,  at  night.  I  knew  there 
was  no  way  in  which  Noel  could  get  out." 

"  But  clearly  a  way,  monsieur,  by  which  others 
could  get  in,"  said  Duvall,  quietly,  as  he  began  a 
minute  examination  of  the  room. 

"  But  the  snuff  box  —  do  you  think  it  has  been 
taken  away  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly,  monsieur.  I  suspected  as  much, 
when  you  showed  me  the  man's  letter.  Your  servant, 
I  have  no  doubt,  took  the  box  while  shaving  you  this 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

morning.  You  doubtless  dozed  off,  thus  giving  him 
the  opportunity.  He  did  not  know  that  you  had  taken 
snuff  from  the  box  this  morning  skortly  after  arising, 
and  imagined,  no  doubt,  that  you  would  suppose  you 
had  lost  it  some  time  the  night  before.  This  would 
relieve  him  of  any  suspicion.  He  hurried  off  to  his 
room  to  secrete  the  box,  meaning  to  deliver  it  to  this 
friend  of  his,  Oscar  Seltz,  during  the  afternoon.  His 
arraignment  by  you,  his  subsequent  imprisonment,  no 
doubt  frightened  him  and  filled  him  with  remorse 
—  hence  his  rather  unfriendly  letter  to  Seltz.  He  had 
repented  of  his  bargain,  and  was  doubtless  engaged  in 
preparing  a  confession,  telling  you  of  his  crime,  and 
the  reasons  therefor,  when  the  murderer  entered  the 
room. 

"  The  latter,  who  probably  was  this  man  Seltz, 
must  have  become  alarmed  by  the  tone  of  Noel's  let- 
ter. He  was,  it  seems  clear,  planning  some  trip  away 
from  London,  upon  which  he  was  about  to  leave.  He 
meant  to  take  the  snuff  box  with  him.  Upon  re- 
ceiving Noel's  letter  he  determined  to  see  him  and 
demand  the  box,  if  he  found  the  latter  had  secured 
it.  No  doubt  he  made  inquiries  from  some  of  the 
servants,  on  calling  to  see  Noel,  and  was  informed  that 
he  was  confined  to  his  room.  He  then  pretended  to 

43 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

leave,  but  in  reality,  ascended  to  the  room  by  means 
of  the  ladder  he  found  in  the  garden,  while  the  serv- 
ants were  at  dinner.  It  was  a  desperate  chance,  but 
he  took  it.  Upon  arriving  in  the  room,  he  found 
Noel  engaged  in  preparing  his  confession,  insisted 
upon  reading  it,  then  realizing  that  his  confederate 
was  about  to  play  him  false,  killed  him,  after  gain- 
ing possession  of  the  box,  and  departed." 

The  Ambassador  uttered  a  groan.  "  My  God," 
he  moaned,  "  I  am  lost ! " 

Defrenne,  who  meanwhile  had  been  making  a  care- 
ful examination  of  the  dead  valet's  body,  rose  with 
a  mystified  expression  upon  his  face.  "  There  are 
no  wounds  upon  the  body  at  all,  Monsieur  Duvall," 
he  said.  "  How  can  you  account  for  this  man's 
death  ?» 

Duvall  stooped,  and  repeated  the  examination  which 
his  companion  had  just  made.  "  You  are  right,"  he 
said.  "  The  case  is  a  most  mysterious  one." 

"  At  least  we  can  identify  the  murderer  by  the 
finger  print  upon  the  seal,"  De  Grissac  remarked, 
eagerly. 

"  I'm  afraid  not.  This  man  Seltz  cannot  be  quite 
a  fool.  Look ! "  He  held  up  the  forefinger  of 
the  dead  man's  right  hand,  upon  which  was  a  dull 

44 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

red  burn,  with  bits  of  the  red  sealing  wax  about  the 
nail.  "  He  wasn't  taking  any  chances."  He  let  the 
already  stiffening  arm  fall,  and  continued  his  exam- 
ination of  the  body.  "  The  method  by  which  the  man 
was  killed,"  he  remarked  slowly,  "  is  not  yet  clear 
to  me.  Certain  finger  prints  on  the  throat  indicate 
that  he  might  have  been  strangled,  but  they  are  hardly 
deep  or  extensive  enough  for  that.  I  fancy  they 
would  have  resulted  in  temporary  unconsciousness 
only.  No  —  there  is  another  reason  —  although 
what  it  is  — "  He  paused  as  his  eyes  lit  upon  a  thin 
shining  object  on  the  floor  beside  the  table.  "  Oh, 
this  may  tell  us  something."  He  picked  up  the 
thing,  which  the  others  saw  at  once  to  be  a  large 
scarf  pin,  and  examined  it  carefully. 

"  Did  this  belong  to  your  servant,  Monsieur  de 
Grissac,"  he  asked,  holding  the  pin  up  to  the  light. 

"  Yes."  The  Ambassador  glanced  at  the  pin  care- 
lessly. "  It  was  one  of  my  own  that  I  had  given 
him,  some  months  ago." 

Duvall  laid  the  scarf  pin  carefully  upon  the  table, 
then  went  to  the  body  on  the  floor,  turned  it  over 
and  made  a  careful  examination  of  the  back  of  the 
neck.  He  held  the  candle  close,  pushing  aside  the 
man's  thin  sandy  hair.  Presently  he  rose  and  placed 

.45 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

the  candle  on  the  table  beside  the  pin.  "  This  was 
what  your  servant  was  killed  with,  Monsieur  de  Gris- 
sac,"  he  said,  as  he  indicated  the  scarf  pin  with  his 
finger.  "  It  was  thrust  violently  into  the  spine,  at 
the  base  of  the  brain.  Only  a  tiny  blood  spot  re- 
mains to  tell  the  tale.  This  fellow  Seltz  is  a  shrewd 
customer." 

"  We  do  not  even  know  that  it  was  he  who  com- 
mitted the  crime.  There  is  no  real  evidence  against 
anyone.  The  snuff  box  may  still  be  here.  I  insist 
that  you  make  a  thorough  search." 

"  It  would  be  useless,  monsieur,"  Duvall  remarked 
with  a  faint  smile.  "  The  box  must  have  been  on  the 
table  when  the  murderer  entered  the  room." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  otherwise  he  would  have  searched  for  it, 
and  you  would  have  found  everything  in  disorder. 
Believe  me,  monsieur,  your  servant  had  repented  of 
his  theft,  and  was  about  to  return  the  box  to  you 
—  it  was  that  which  caused  his  death.  The  seal  upon 
his  lips  is  a  gruesome  joke  —  silence  —  his  lips  are 
sealed  —  he  can  tell  nothing." 

"  Seltz  must  be  arrested  at  once,"  the  Ambassador 
cried,  in  a  rage. 

46 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  So  far,  monsieur,  there  is  not  the  slightest  evi- 
dence against  him.  Further,  it  is  my  opinion  that 
he  will  leave  London  at  once.  Tell  me  the  name  of 
the  shop  in  Piccadilly  Circus  where  he  was  employed, 
and  we  will  lose  no  further  time  in  getting  on  his 
trail." 

The  Ambassador  was  not  entirely  certain  of  the 
location  of  the  shop.  He  had  never  visited  it.  The 
name,  he  remembered,  was  given  in  the  note  as  Per- 
rier.  The  note  had  been  delivered  by  one  of  the 
servants ;  he  could  tell  where,  and  to  whom  he  had 
delivered  it. 

Duvall  recommended  to  the  Ambassador  that  he 
report  the  murder  to  the  police^at  once,  but  requested 
that  no  mention  be  made  of  the  presence  of  himself 
and  Monsieur  Dufrenne.  "  We  should  be  held  as 
witnesses,"  he  cautioned  Monsieur  de  Grissac,  "  and 
that  would  seriously  interfere  with  our  plans.  Let 
us  interview  the  servant  who  took  the  letter  at 
once." 

The  latter,  a  groom,  was  soon  disposed  of.  He 
gave  the  number  and  location  of  the  barber  shop  in 
Piccadilly  Circus,  a  short  distance  away,  and  reported 
that  he  had  handed  the  message  to  a  dark,  smooth- 

47 


shaven  man  at  the  second  chair.  He  did  not  know 
Seltz,  but  the  proprietor  had  pointed  him  out  in  re- 
sponse to  his  inquiries.  His  description  of  the  man 
was  vague  and  unsatisfactory ;  he  was  unable  to  give 
any  further  information  on  the  subject.  Investiga- 
tions as  to  anyone  having  made  inquiries  at  the  serv- 
ants' entrance  during  the  evening,  regarding  Noel, 
elicited  the  information  that  a  heavily  built,  dark  man, 
smooth-shaven,  had  called  about  half -past  seven,  and 
upon  being  informed  that  the  valet  was  confined  to 
his  room  and  could  not  be  seen,  had  disappeared.  No 
one  had  taken  any  particular  notice  of  his  coming 
or  going. 

When  the  party  had  once  more  assembled  in  the 
reception-room,  Duvall  turned  to  Monsieur  de  Gris- 
sac.  "  There  is  nothing  more  to  be  accomplished 
here,  monsieur,"  he  remarked,  quietly.  "  We  will  get 
after  this  fellow  Seltz  at  once,  and  I  trust  that 
before  long  the  missing  snuff  box  will  be  returned  to 
you." 

The  Ambassador  shook  hands  with  his  guests,  in  a 
state  of  extreme  agitation.  "  Lose  no  time,"  he 
urged.  "  You  must  recover  the  box  before  the  thief 
has  an  opportunity  to  turn  it  over  to  those  who  are 
back  of  him,  else  it  will  be  too  late.  I  shall  pray  for 

48 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

your  success."  He  stood  at  the  door  as  his  guests 
departed,  shaking  as  though  with  a  palsy.  "  It  is  a 
matter  of  greater  moment  than  life  itself.  I  trust  you 
will  not  fail." 


49 


CHAPTER  IV 

RICHARD  DUVALL,  accompanied  by  the  silent 
little  curio  dealer,  left  the  home  of  the  French 
Ambassador  and  walked  rapidly  to  the  barber  shop 
of  Alphonse  Perrier  in  Piccadilly  Circus.  They 
found  the  place  without  difficulty,  a  large  and  evi- 
dently prosperous  establishment,  located  on  the 
ground  floor  of  a  building,  the  upper  rooms  of  which 
were  devoted  to  business  offices.  A  large  plate  glass 
window  in  front  bore  the  sign,  "  Alphonse  Perrier, 
Tonsorial  Parlors." 

The  detective  and  his  companion  walked  slowly  past 
the  brightly  lighted  window,  their  eyes  taking  in  the 
details  of  the  interior  of  the  place.  It  was  now  close 
to  ten  o'clock,  but  the  street  was  filled  with  pedes- 
trians, and  there  were  still  one  or  two  customers  in 
the  shop.  At  the  first  chair  toward  the  door  stood 
a  large  pasty-faced  man,  with  a  mop  of  bushy  black 
hair,  who  was  engaged  in  trimming  a  young  man's 
mustache.  The  second  chair  was  occupied  by  a  man 

50 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

who  was  being  shaved.  The  fellow  who  was  shaving 
him  answered  in  a  general  way  to  the  descriptions  of 
Seltz  given  by  the  Ambassador's  servants.  The  third 
chair  was  unoccupied,  and  the  man  in  charge  of  it, 
as  well  as  those  at  the  remaining  two  chairs,  were  en- 
gaged in  putting  away  their  razors  and  brushes,  pre- 
paratory to  leaving.  It  was  evident  that  the  closing 
hour  was  near  at  hand. 

Duvall  turned  to  his  companion,  "  Monsieur  De- 
f  renne,"  he  said,  "  will  you  enter  at  once  and  take 
the  third  chair?  Keep  your  eyes  and  ears  open,  and 
see  what  you  can  learn.  I  will  wait  here  in  the  shadow 
of  the  next  doorway.  Our  man  is  evidently  inside. 
He  will  soon  be  leaving  the  shop.  If  he  does  so,  be- 
fore you  do,  I  shall  follow  him.  In  that  event,  re- 
turn to  Monsieur  de  Grissac's  house  and  wait  there 
for  word  from  me." 

Duf renne  felt  his  stubbly  beard.  "  It  is  fortunate, 
monsieur,  that  I  have  not  been  shaved  since  Monday," 
he  said,  as  he  entered  the  shop. 

The  man  in  charge  of  the  third  chair  looked  at  him 
with  a  sulky  expression  as  he  took  his  seat.  His 
companions  grinned.  Evidently  he  had  not  expected 
another  customer  before  the  closing  hour.  He  began 
to  shave  the  little  old  Frenchman  with  careless  haste. 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

The  latter  lay  in  his  chair,  with  half-closed  eyes,  pre- 
tending to  doze.  In  reality  he  was  watching  every 
movement  of  the  man  next  to  him. 

The  customer  who  occupied  the  second  chair  was  a 
small,  thin  man,  with  sandy  hair  and  a  bony  face. 
His  eyes,  rather  prominent,  under  sparse  red  eyebrows, 
were  closed  as  though  in  sleep.  He  was  not  paying 
the  slightest  attention  to  his  surroundings,  taking  no 
notice  whatever  of  Seltz,  who  was  going  over  his  face 
in  a  stolid  and  methodical  way.  There  seemed  noth- 
ing about  either  of  them  to  attract  attention  —  and 
Lhifrenne  began  to  wonder  whether  they  might  not 
after  all  be  upon  a  false  scent.  The  man  Seltz  showed 
neither  haste  nor  nervousness  in  his  movements  —  if 
he  was  in  a  hurry  to  finish  his  work  for  the  evening, 
and  leave  the  place,  he  certainly  did  not  show  it. 

After  a  time,  Dufrenne  observed  that  the  thin  man 
in  the  chair  next  to  him  had  opened  his  eyes,  and  was 
feeling  his  jaw  with  much  satisfaction.  "  A  very 
good  shave,  my  good  fellow,"  he  said,  in  excellent 
English,  without  a  trace  of  any  foreign  accent. 
"  What  powder  was  that  you  used,  may  I  ask  ?  " 

Dufrenne,  who  was  observing  Seltz  carelessly,  saw 
a  sudden  change  come  over  him.  His  eyes  lit  up  with 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

interest,  and  a  slight  flush  overspread  his  face.  There 
seemed  nothing  in  so  simple  a  question  to  arouse  him 
in  this  way,  and  Dufrenne  watched  him  carefully,  his 
senses  keenly  alert  for  anything  of  interest.  To  his 
disappointment,  Seltz's  answer  was  of  the  most  com- 
monplace character.  "  It  is  a  special  kind,  which 
Monsieur  Perrier  has  made  for  him,  after  his  own 
formula.  '  Poudre  Perrier,'  it  is  called."  He  turned 
to  the  case  behind  him,  opened  a  drawer  and  brought 
forth  a  round  cardboard  box.  "  Eightpence  is  the 
price.  Would  you  like  to  try  a  box?  "  He  extended 
the  package  toward  his  customer,  who  had  risen  and 
was  adjusting  his  scarf  at  the  mirror. 

The  man  turned  and  glanced  carelessly  at  the 
box.  "  Oh,  you  might  wrap  it  up.  I  shave  myself, 
occasionally,  when  I'm  traveling.  Eightpence,  you 
say?" 

"  Yes,  sir."  Seltz  turned  to  the  case  and  began  to 
do  up  the  package  in  a  piece  of  brown  paper.  In  a 
few  moments  he  turned  and  handed  it  to  his  cus- 
tomer, who  had  drawn  on  his  coat,  and  was  preparing 
to  leave  the  place.  Dufrenne  saw  him  put  his  hand 
into  his  pocket  and  draw  out  some  money,  which  he 
handed  to  Seltz.  The  latter  nodded  gravely  and 


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placed  it  in  his  pocket.  The  thin-faced  man  did  the 
same  with  the  package,  then  left  the  shop.  There 
was  nothing  in  the  least  suspicious  about  the  whole 
transaction,  and  the  little  Frenchman  contented  him- 
self with  observing  Seltz  as  he  put  away  his  brushes 
and  prepared  to  stop  work  for  the  day.  Once  he  saw 
the  man  draw  something  from  his  pocket  and  glance 
hurriedly  at  it,  but  his  back  was  toward  the  chair 
in  which  Dufrenne  sat,  and  he  could  not  see  what  it 
was.  A  sense  of  uneasiness  filled  him,  however,  as 
the  man  who  was  shaving  him  drew  away  the  sheet 
from  about  his  shoulders  and  stepped  back  to  allow 
him  to  rise. 

He  made  his  way  to  the  street  as  quickly  as  possible. 
Seltz  was  still  occupied  in  putting  away  his  shaving 
implements. 

On  reaching  the  pavement,  Dufrenne  turned  and 
walked  rapidly  toward  Charing  Cross.  He  did  not 
wish  to  j  oin  Duvall  in  sight  of  those  within.  He  had 
taken  but  a  few  paces  when  the  latter  caught  up  to 
him.  "What  did  you  learn?"  the  detective  asked, 
quickly. 

Dufrenne  related  in  a  few  words  what  had  occurred 
in  the  shop.  He  failed  to  note  the  excitement  with 

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which  the  detective  listened  to  his  story.  "  It  may 
have  been  the  snuff  box,"  Duvall  cried,  moving  for- 
ward rapidly  in  his  excitement.  "  A  clever  scheme, 
I  must  say."  He  looked  about  eagerly  for  the  man 
who  had  left  the  shop  so  short  a  time  before,  but  he 
had  disappeared  in  the  darkness.  "  If  you  could  only 
have  warned  me  in  some  way." 

"  It  was  impossible,  monsieur,"  said  Dufrenne  much 
crestfallen.  "  I  could  not  leave  the  chair  until  the 
man  had  finished  shaving  me." 

"  Of  course  not,"  replied  Duvall,  uncertain  what 
course  to  pursue  next.  "  The  man  went  in  this  direc- 
tion. I  noticed  him  particularly.  Perhaps  if  I  were 
to  hurry  I  might  overtake  him."  He  started  forward. 
"  You  stay  here  and  watch  Seltz.  If  I  do  not  return, 
report  to  me  at  Monsieur  de  Grissac's."  He  turned 
and  disappeared  in  the  crowd. 

Dufrenne  went  slowly  back  to  the  neighborhood  of 
the  shop,  and  stood  in  the  shadow  of  the  doorway, 
waiting.  Presently  he  observed  two  of  the  assistants, 
in  street  clothes,  leave  the  place  and  hurry  off  into 
the  darkness.  Neither  of  them  was  Seltz.  The  lights 
in  the  shop  began  to  go  out.  Another  assistant  left. 
Only  Seltz  and  the  proprietor  now  remained  within. 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

He  crept  toward  the  window,  and  cautiously  looked 
inside.  Monsieur  Perrier  stood  before  one  of  the 
mirrors,  arranging  his  bushy  hair.  There  was  no  one 
else  m  the  shop. 


56 


CHAPTER  V 

GRACE  DUVALL  arrived  at  the  house  of  the 
American  Minister  at  about  half -past  five,  and 
luckily  found  him  at  home.  From  the  maid  at  the 
hotel  she  had  learned  that  his  name  was  Phelps,  Austin 
Phelps,  and  she  at  once  recognized  it  as  that  of  a 
lawyer  prominent  in  business  and  social  circles  in  New 
York.  That  he  should  know  her,  at  least  by  name, 
was  not  at  all  surprising  —  her  aunt,  prior  to  her 
marriage  to  Count  d'Este,  had  been  much  courted 
on  account  of  both  her  beauty  and  her  wealth.  She 
waited  in  the  handsome  drawing-room  to  which  she 
had  been  conducted,  nervously  wondering  what  the 
nature  of  her  reception  would  be.  The  card  she  had 
given  to  the  servant  was  one  of  her  own  —  in  fact, 
she  remembered  with  a  smile  that  her  marriage  to 
Richard  Duvall  but  a  few  hours  before  had  so  filled 
her  mind  and  heart  that  she  had  completely  forgotten 
to  have  any  cards  prepared  setting  forth  her  new 
estate.  It  was  as  Grace  Ellicott  that  the  Minister 
would  know  her,  however,  and  her  business  in  Brussels 

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made  it  desirable  that  she  should  pose  as  a  single 
woman.  It  was  not  at  all  difficult,  she  thought  to 
herself,  under  the  circumstances. 

Mr.  Phelps,  the  Minister,  proved  to  be  a  rubicund, 
rather  portly  gentleman,  with  white  side  whiskers  and 
an  air  of  urbane  courtesy  that  set  her  at  her  ease  at 
once.  She  told  him  who  she  was,  hopefully,  and  was 
delighted  to  find  that  he  placed  her  at  once. 

"  Margaret  Ellicott's  niece,"  he  said  with  a  pleasant 
smile,  offering  his  hand.  "  My  dear  girl,  I'm  de- 
lighted to  meet  you.  I  knew  your  aunt  well,  years 
ago,  when  you  were  going  about  in  short  dresses.  I 
lost  sight  of  her,  after  she  married  D'Este,  and  went 
to  Paris  to  live.  It  was  only  the  other  day  that  I 
learned  of  her  death.  She  was  a  fine  woman.  Mrs. 
Phelps  and  myself  were  both  very  fond  of  her. 
Won't  you  take  a  seat  and  tell  me  what  you  are  doing 
in  Brussels  ?  " 

Grace  sat  down,  and  at  once  plunged  into  her  story. 
"  I  have  suffered  a  great  deal,  lately,  Mr.  Phelps," 
she  began,  "  from  nervousness.  I've  been  living  in 
Paris,  you  know,  and  many  things  have  happened 
to  upset  me.  You  have  heard,  of  course,  of  the 
Count  d'Este's  treatment  of  me,  and  of  his  arrest 
and  conviction?  " 

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"  Yes."  He  nodded  gravely.  "  I  do  not  wonder 
that  you  feel  upset." 

"  Of  late  I  have  suffered  a  great  deal  from  attacks 
of  sleep  walking.  I  get  up  at  night  and  wander  about, 
without  knowing  what  I  am  doing.  One  night,  I  went 
out  on  the  balcony  and  nearly  walked  off  into  the 
street."  She  lied  bravely,  hoping  that  her  story 
would  appear  plausible. 

"  Too  bad,"  Mr.  Phelps  remarked,  evidently  some- 
what surprised  that  she  should  confide  such  matters 
to  him.  "  You  are  under  treatment,  of  course." 

"  No  —  that  is,  not  at  present.  No  one  in  Paris 
has  been  able  to  do  me  any  good.  I  have  heard  so 
much  of  Dr.  Hartmann  and  his  marvelous  success 
with  all  sorts  of  mental  and  nervous  troubles  that  I 
have  decided  to  consult  him.  That  is  why  I  came  to 
Brussels." 

"  I  see.  Well  —  he's  a  splendid  man.  You 
couldn't  do  better.  I  know  him  very  well,  and  like 
him  immensely.  A  thorough  scientist.  Have  you 
seen  him,  yet?  " 

"  No.  I  —  I  understood  that  he  does  not  care  to 
take  patients  without  references  as  to  their  standing, 
financial  and  otherwise." 

"  My  dear  girl,  you  would  have  no  trouble.  Of 
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course  he  is  overrun  with  patients  —  and  as  his  sana- 
torium is  a  small  one,  he  is  obliged  to  charge  large 
fees  and  take  only  the  best  and  wealthiest  class.  He 
is  an  investigator,  rather  than  a  practitioner,  and 
for  that  reason  is  obliged  to  guard  his  time." 

"  Then  may  I  ask  that  you  will  give  me  a  letter 
to  him?  "  Grace  said,  hesitatingly. 

"  Certainly.  I'll  do  it  gladly.  When  do  you  in- 
tend to  call  on  him  ?  " 

"  I  thought  of  going  at  once." 

"  Then  I'll  do  better  than  give  you  a  letter.  I'll 
call  him  up  by  telephone  and  make  an  appointment 
for  you.  Say  in  half  an  hour.  It  will  take  you  about 
twenty  minutes  to  drive  to  his  place.  Will  that  be 
convenient?  " 

"  Perfectly,  Mr.  Phelps,  and  thank  you  very 
much." 

"  Nonsense,  my  dear  girl.  Only  too  happy  to  do 
it  for  you.  You  must  come  and  meet  Mrs.  Phelps, 
later  on,  and  dine  with  us.  Just  at  present  she  is  out, 
taking  tea  with  some  friends.  I  want  you  to  know 
her."  He  rose  and  started  toward  the  door.  "  Ex- 
cuse me  for  a  few  moments,  while  I  telephone  the  doc- 
tor." 

Grace,  left  alone,  could  not  help  regretting  the  de- 
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celt  she  had  been  obliged  to  practise  upon  her  aunt's 
old  friend,  but  there  seemed  to  be  no  help  for  it.  She 
only  hoped  that  nothing  would  occur,  subsequently, 
to  involve  the  latter  in  any  disagreeable  explanations. 

Mr.  Phelps  returned  to  the  drawing-room  in  a  few 
moments,  his  face  weathed  in  smiles  of  satisfaction. 
"  You're  lucky,"  he  said.  "  Dr.  Hartmann  tells  me 
that  he  can  accommodate  you  at  once,  as  he  discharged 
one  of  his  patients,  cured,  only  this  morning.  If  you 
propose  to  remain  at  his  house  for  treatment,  which 
would  be  the  only  satisfactory  way,  I  would  suggest 
that  you  drive  around  by  way  of  your  hotel  and  ar- 
range to  have  your  baggage  sent  at  once.  I  have  writ- 
ten the  address,  and  a  few  words  to  the  doctor,  on  this 
card.  Any  of  the  cab  drivers  will  know  it,  of  course. 
Dr.  Hartmann  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in 
Brussels.  I  wish  you  good  luck  in  your  stay  at  his 
place,  and  whenever  you  are  in  the  city,  come  in 
and  have  luncheon.  Mrs.  Phelps  will  be  delighted." 
He  led  the  way  to  the  door,  and  ushered  the  girl  into 
her  cab.  "  Glad  I  was  able  to  be  of  service  to  you," 
he  said,  as  she  drove  off.  "  Good-evening." 

When  Grace  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Hartmann,  she 
was  quite  conscious  of  the  fact  that  it  would  not  be 
necessary  for  her  to  pretend  to  be  nervous.  In  fact 

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she  felt  herself  turning  hot  and  cold  with  fear,  and 
wondered  whether  she  would  have  the  courage  to  play 
the  part  which  had  been  so  unexpectedly  thrust  upon 
her. 

The  place  itself  was  pleasant  and  attractive  enough 
in  appearance.  It  consisted  of  a  large  stone  building, 
with  a  mansard  roof,  set  back  some  hundred  or  more 
yards  from  the  street,  and  surrounded  by  a  small 
park,  filled  with  trees  and  shrubbery.  A  well-kept 
gravel  driveway  lead  from  the  gate  to  the  main  en- 
trance, which  opened  into  a  large  hall.  She  observed 
as  she  came  in,  a  sort  of  parlor,  or  reception-room,  to 
the  right,  handsomely  furnished  in  rather  an  old-fash- 
ioned style,  with  a  large  marble  mantel  and  fireplace 
at  one  end  of  it.  In  the  latter  a  blaze  of  cannel  coal 
lit  up  the  room  with  a  pleasant  radiance.  It  was  not 
yet  dark  without,  and  the  lights  in  the  reception  room 
were  unlit,  although  a  lamp  was  burning  in  the  hall. 

The  maid  who  admitted  her,  a  pleasant-faced  Ger- 
man woman  of  middle  age,  conducted  her  into  the 
reception-room,  and  taking  her  card,  disappeared  down 
the  hall.  In  a  few  moments  she  returned,  and  nodding 
to  Grace,  opened  a  door  at  the  left  of  the  hall  and 
bade  her  enter. 

She  found  herself  in  the  doctor's  office,  a  large  room, 
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furnished  in  leather.  rA  table  in  the  center  contained 
a  lamp,  and  many  magazines  and  papers.  There  was 
no  one  in  the  room  when  she  entered,  but  before  she 
had  time  to  select  a  chair,  a  door  at  the  rear  of  the 
room  opened,  and  Dr.  Hartmann  came  in. 

He  was  a  man  of  powerful  build,  and  gave  one  the 
impression  of  great  size,  although  not  in  reality  above 
medium  height.  His  shoulders,  however,  were  very 
broad  and  thick,  his  neck  short  and  powerful,  his 
head  large,  with  heavy  iron-gray  hair.  A  short  beard 
of  the  same  color  covered  the  lower  part  of  his  face, 
while  through  a  pair  of  gold-rimmed  spectacles  his 
eyes  shone  with  piercing  brightness.  Grace  thought, 
as  he  came  toward  her,  that  she  had  seldom  seen  a 
more  striking-looking  man. 

"  Be  seated,  miss,"  he  said,  addressing  her  in  Eng- 
lish, though  with  a  decided  accent.  "  You  are  Miss 
Grace  Ellicott,  I  believe."  He  glanced  at  the  card 
which  he  held  in  his  hand. 

"  Yes,"  said  Grace,  nervously  taking  a  seat. 

"  Mr.  Phelps  tells  me  you  suffer  from  somnambu- 
lism," the  doctor  went  on.  "  How  long  have  you  ob- 
served the  symptoms  ?  " 

"  About  six  months,"  answered  Grace,  steadily. 

"  Are  the  occurrences  frequent  ?  " 
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"  Yes.     Almost  every  night." 

"  Had  you  experienced  any  great  shock,  about  the 
time  these  manifestations  began  ?  " 

"  Yes.  My  aunt,  whom  I  loved  very  dearly,  had 
died." 

"  Oh !  And  when  you  walk  in  your  sleep,  do  you 
seem  to  see  her?  " 

Grace  reflected  over  this  question  for  several  mo- 
ments. Then  she  recollected  that  persons  given  to 
somnambulism  never  remember  their  experiences. 
"  No.  I  have  no  recollection  of  what  occurs." 

The  doctor's  face  was  lit  with  a  satisfied  smile.  He 
came  over  to  Grace,  drew  apart  the  lids  of  one  of  her 
eyes  and  gazed  into  it,  looked  at  her  hands  critically, 
felt  her  pulse  for  a  moment,  then  asked  suddenly, 
"  Have  you  ever  been  placed  under  the  influence  of 
hypnosis  ?  " 

She  trembled.  If  this  man  were  to  hypnotize  her, 
as  she  was  perfectly  certain  that  he  could,  he  might 
force  her  to  tell  him  everything,  and  thereby  endanger 
the  success  of  the  whole  plan.  "  No,"  she  replied, 
firmly.  "  I  should  not  care  for  it." 

"  It  is  a  method  of  treatment,  miss,  which  I  use  a 
great  deal." 

"  I  hope  it  will  not  be  necessary,  doctor,  to  use  it 
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upon  me.  I  have  always  had  a  horror  of  being  hypno- 
tized. Please  do  not  attempt  it." 

"  Very  well,  miss,"  the  doctor  laughed.  "  It  may 
not  be  necessary.  Before  we  go  further  with  your 
case,  I  shall  want  to  observe  it  carefully  for  a  few 
days.  You  understand  my  terms,  of  course."  The 
doctor  named  a  large  sum.  "  So  much  each  week, 
and  an  additional  charge  for  my  services,  depending 
upon  the  nature  of  the  case." 

Grace  nodded,  although  the  amount  was  sufficiently 
large  to  stagger  her.  "  I  shall  gladly  pay  what  you 
ask,"  she  said,  "  if  you  can  only  cure  me."  She 
rose  as  the  doctor  stepped  to  the  side  of  the  room 
and  pressed  an  electric  button. 

"  You  can  go  to  your  room  at  once,  Miss  Ellicott," 
the  doctor  went  on.  "  One  of  the  maids  will  conduct 
you.  Your  meals  will  be  served  there,  or  you  can 
eat  in  the  large  dining-room,  as  you  prefer.  There 
are  only  twenty  other  patients.  Some  of  them  you 
might  find  very  agreeable.  Make  yourself  thor- 
oughly at  home.  There  are  many  excellent  books 
in  the  library,  and  you  will  perhaps  wish  to  walk  in 
the  grounds,  or  visit  your  friends  in  the  city.  The 
nature  of  your  case  is  such  that  no  particular  regi- 
men, no  rules  of  health  are  necessary.  Remember, 

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however,  that  we  close  the  gates  of  the  park  at  sun- 
down. I  will  see  you  again,  this  evening,  and  bring 
you  some  medicine.  It  is  merely  a  sedative,  to  quiet 
your  nerves.  It  is  not  possible  to  do  much  for  com- 
plaints such  as  yours,  by  means  of  drugs."  He 
turned,  as  a  quiet,  pleasant-faced  woman  opened  the 
door.  "  Anna,"  he  said  to  her  in  German,  "  con- 
duct Miss  Ellicott  to  her  room,  and  make  her  com- 
fortable." 

Not  wishing  to  endure  the  ordeal  of  dining  with 
strangers,  Grace  decided  to  have  her  dinner  served 
in  her  room.  She  found  it  excellent,  and  very  well 
cooked.  After  dinner  she  sat  in  an  easy  chair  by 
the  large  electric  lamp  and  read  a  book  she  had 
brought  with  her. 

At  ten  o'clock  Dr.  Hartmann  came  in,  and  asked 
her  a  few  more  questions,  gave  the  nurse  a  small  bot- 
tle containing  a  dark  brown  liquid  and  instructed  her 
as  to  administering  it,  then  said  good-night  and  went 
out.  Grace  threw  down  her  book,  and  announced 
that  she  was  ready  to  retire.  The  maid  assisted  her 
to  undress,  gave  her  a  few  drops  of  the  medicine  in 
a  small  glass  of  sherry,  put  out  the  light,  and  de- 
parted, informing  Grace  that  she  would  be  in  the  hall, 
within  call,  if  the  latter  wished  anything. 

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In  spite  of  the  medicine  which  she  had  taken,  Grace 
was  far  too  nervous  and  excited  to  fall  asleep.  She 
realized  the  daring  nature  of  the  game  she  had  been 
called  upon  to  play,  and  for  a  moment  her  spirits 
sank  and  she  felt  a  sense  of  fear.  Thoughts  of 
Richard,  however,  soon  restored  her  courage.  She 
would  face  any  danger  to  serve  him.  How  different 
from  what  she  had  imagined,  was  this,  her  first  night 
of  married  life !  Instead  of  lying  in  Richard's  arms, 
on  board  the  steamer  bound  for  America,  here  she 
was,  a  patient  in  a  sanatorium  in  Brussels.  The 
thing  seemed  unreal  —  impossible. 

After  a  while,  the  noises  of  the  house  ceased  one 
by  one.  As  midnight  struck,  all  was  dark  and  silent. 
Only  the  faint  sound  of  the  wind  among  the  trees 
in  the  park  came  to  her  ears.  She  wondered  whether 
it  was  necessary  for  her  to  pretend  to  walk  in  her 
sleep  this  night  —  in  order  that  the  doctor  might 
feel  that  her  case  was  a  real  one.  She  rose  softly, 
undecided,  and  going  to  the  window,  looked  out. 

The  room  in  which  she  then  was,  occupied  a  posi- 
tion at  the  rear  of  the  building,  and  in  one  of  its  two 
wings.  From  the  center  of  the  main  building  she 
observed  a  covered  passageway,  or  bridge,  extend- 
ing out  for  perhaps  a  hundred  feet  and  terminating 

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in  a  sort  of  square  tower.  In  one  of  the  rooms  in 
the  tower,  on  a  level  with  herself,  she  saw  lights,  and 
the  figure  of  a  man  moving  about. 

The  place  attracted  her  attention.  She  wondered 
what  its  use  could  be.  Then  an  inspiration  struck 
her.  The  covered  bridge  ran  from  the  main  hall 
not  thirty  feet  from  her  own  door.  She  determined 
to  cross  it,  pretending  to  be  walking  in  her  sleep, 
and  find  out  what  she  could  regarding  the  brick 
tower.  When  the  time  came,  she  knew  that  all  the 
information  she  could  possess  about  the  house  and 
its  occupants  would  be  necessary  to  the  success  of  her 
plans. 

She  threw  about  her  a  dressing-gown,  and  quietly 
opened  her  door.  The  maid  was  nowhere  to  be  seen, 
but  doubtless  she  would  shortly  return.  The  chair 
upon  which  she  had  been  sitting,  at  the  point  where 
the  side  and  main  halls  met,  stood  directly  beneath 
the  electric  light.  No  doubt,  Grace  thought,  she  had 
been  called  away  for  a  few  moments  by  one  of 
the  other  patients  on  the  floor. 

Now  was  her  chance.  She  stepped  noiselessly  down 
the  cross  hall,  her  eyes  wide  open  and  hands  clenched 
at  her  sides.  At  the  junction  of  the  two  halls  she 
turned  to  the  right,  toward  a  door  which,  she  judged, 

68 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

gave  entrance  to  the  covered  way.  She  found  this 
unlocked,  opened  it,  entered  the  passageway  and 
closed  the  door  behind  her.  Then  she  began  to  walk 
slowly  along  the  bridge. 

It  was  a  narrow  structure,  not  exceeding  five  feet 
in  width,  with  top  and  sides  of  corrugated  metal, 
and  a  floor  of  wooden  planks.  At  the  far  end  of 
it  she  perceived  a  glass  door,  behind  which  shone  a 
brilliant  light. 

She  approached  the  door  cautiously,  keeping  up 
all  the  while  the  pretense  of  walking  in  her  sleep. 
This  was  not  easy  —  she  did  not  know  just  how  per- 
sons who  were  somnambulists  acted,  but  she  had  read 
descriptions  of  such  cases,  and  had  once  seen  a  play 
in  which  one  of  the  characters  was  a  sleep  walker. 
She  tried  to  give  her  eyes  a  vacant,  unseeing  expres- 
sion, and  fearlessly  approached  the  door. 

It  stood  slightly  ajar,  and  through  the  glass 
panels  she  saw  at  once  that  the  room  was  Dr.  Hart- 
mann's  laboratory.  She  arrived  at  this  conclusion 
from  the  various  medical  appliances  which  stood  about 
the  room,  the  uses  of  which  she  did  not  know.  Her 
inspection  of  the  room,  however,  was  but  momentary, 
for  two  figures,  brightly  illuminated  by  an  over- 
hanging cluster  of  electric  lights,  at  once  attracted 

69 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

her  attention.  One  of  these  was  Dr.  Hartmann.  He 
sat  at  a  large,  flat-topped  desk,  his  profile  toward  the 
door,  examining  with  great  care  a  mass  of  papers 
which  lay  on  the  desk  before  him.  His  forehead  was 
wrinkled  with  thought,  and  an  expression  of  anger 
dominated  his  face. 

At  the  other  side  of  the  desk  sat  a  tall  spare  man, 
with  a  military-looking  carriage,  and  a  fierce  blond 
mustache,  which  he  was  gnawing  uneasily.  The  two 
figures  sat  silent  for  several  moments,  no  word  pass- 
ing between  them,  while  Grace  watched  intently. 
Presently  she  heard  the  doctor  speak.  "  It  took  you 
two  years,  it  seems,  to  find  out  that  Monsieur  de  Gris- 
sac  uses  snuff." 

The  other  nodded.  "  One  year  and  ten  months, 
to  be  exact." 

"  And  now,"  the  doctor  went  on,  angrily,  "  you 
trust  everything  to  a  stranger." 

"  It  is  better  so,  is  it  not  ?  The  affair  is  dangerous. 
Neither  you,  nor  I,  can  afford  to  be  mixed  up  in  it." 

Doctor  Hartmann  brought  his  fist  down  upon  the 
desk  with  a  bang.  "  Gott  in  Himmel!  "  he  roared. 
"  We  must  take  some  risks,  my  friend.  I  tell  you 
I  must  have  De  Grissac's  snuff  box  without  further 

70 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

delay.     If  that  does  not  solve  the  problem,  we  are 
at  the  end  of  our  rope." 

"  It  will  solve  it,"  the  other  man  replied  imper- 
turbably.  "  I  have  positive  assurances  to  that  effect. 
Furthermore,  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  we 
shall  hear  from  London  before  the  end  of  the  week." 

"  Have  you  received  any  word?  "  the  doctor  in- 
quired eagerly. 

"  Yes.  The  attempt  was  to  be  made  either  to-day 
or  to-morrow.  Our  man  will  report  to  you  at  once. 
He  knows  nothing  of  the  matter,  of  course.  He  will 
deliver  the  box  to  you,  and  receive  the  money." 

"Who  is  the  fellow?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  his  name.  I  have  not  seen  him, 
myself.  Gratz  arranged  everything  in  London.  I 
considered  it  very  important  that  nothing  should  oc- 
cur which  would  connect  us  with  the  matter  in  any 
way.  Monsieur  de  Grissac  will  discover  his  loss  very 
quickly  and  will  use  every  effort  to  prevent  the  box 
from  falling  into  our  hands.  Gratz  and  the  others 
would  invite  suspicion  at  once.  The  fellow  they  have 
chosen  to  handle  the  matter  is  unknown  to  the  French 
police.  He  will  attract  no  attention.  The  plan  ap- 
pears to  be  perfect." 

,71 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

The  doctor  nodded  slowly,  chewing  on  his  cigar. 
"  I  hope  you  are  right,  Mayer,"  he  said,  and  looked 
at  his  watch. 

As  he  finished  speaking,  Grace  heard  someone  ap- 
proaching her  from  behind,  but  she  paid  no  atten- 
tion. In  a  moment  the  attendant  touched  her  lightly 
on  the  arm.  She  turned,  gazing  at  the  woman  with 
staring,  unseeing  eyes.  The  latter  looked  at  her 
keenly,  then  began  to  lead  her  along  the  bridge  toward 
the  main  building. 

When  they  reached  her  bedroom,  the  nurse  turned 
on  the  lights  suddenly,  glancing  at  Grace's  face  as 
she  did  so.  The  girl  did  not  dare  even  to  blink  her 
eyes.  "  Sit  down,"  the  woman  commanded,  sharply. 
Grace  sank  upon  the  edge  of  the  bed.  "  Take  off 
your  shoes,"  the  nurse  went  on,  in  a  stern  voice.  The 
girl  had  slipped  on  a  pair  of  bedroom  slippers  — 
she  proceeded  to  remove  them  mechanically,  fumbling 
with  them  as  though  trying  to  unfasten  the  laces  of 
a  pair  of  shoes.  "  Now  your  dress,"  the  nurse  or- 
dered. Grace  began  awkwardly  to  remove  the  dress- 
ing-gown she  had  thrown  about  her.  When  the 
woman  told  her  sharply  to  get  into  bed,  she  did  so 
without  a  word,  apparently  quite  unconscious  of  what 
she  was  doing.  It  was  a  splendid  piece  of  acting, 

72 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

and  she  did  it  so  well  that  if  the  nurse  had  any  doubts 
as  to  the  reality  of  her  somnambulistic  condition 
they  were  at  once  dispelled.  As  soon  as  the  girl 
placed  her  head  upon  the  pillows,  she  pretended  to  be 
sound  asleep,  her  eyes  closed,  her  breathing  regular 
and  slow.  After  a  time,  the  attendant  put  out  the 
light  and  left  the  room. 

The  girl  lay  still  for  hours,  wondering  what  there 
was  in  the  strange  conversation  she  had  overheard 
that  could  help  Richard  in  his  efforts  to  recover  the 
stolen  snuff  box.  That  it  had  been  stolen  she  knew ; 
that  it  had  not  yet  been  delivered  to  Dr.  Hartmann 
she  also  knew.  Perhaps  Richard  might  have  suc- 
ceeded in  recovering  it  before  now;  if  not,  the  mes- 
senger bringing  it  to  the  doctor's  office  would 
undoubtedly  arrive  the  next  day.  She  determined  to 
rise  early,  in  order  that  she  might,  if  possible,  send 
word  of  what  she  had  heard  to  Brussels  by  means 
of  the  young  man  who  drove  the  delivery  wagon. 


73 


CHAPTER  VI 

WHEN  Richard  Duvall  left  Dufrenne,  the  curio 
dealer,  in  Piccadilly  Circus,  and  started  after 
the  man  who  had  purchased  the  box  of  powder  in  the 
barber  shop,  he  realized  to  the  full  the  hopelessness 
of  his  task.  The  man  had  left  the  shop  at  least  two 
minutes  before  Dufrenne  came  out  —  perhaps  more, 
and  another  minute  had  been  consumed  by  the  latter 
in  telling  his  story.  Three  minutes'  start,  in  a 
crowded  street  at  night,  was  a  handicap  which  the  de- 
tective could  scarcely  hope  to  overcome. 

He  hurried  along  in  the  general  direction  the  fel- 
low had  taken,  trying  to  form  in  his  mind  a  clear 
picture  of  his  appearance.  In  the  dim  light  before 
the  shop  he  had  not  been  able  to  observe  him  closely, 
nor  had  there,  indeed,  appeared  any  very  good  rea- 
son for  doing  so;  he  had  thought  the  man  but  a  be- 
lated customer  of  the  place  and  had  barely  glanced 
at  him. 

His  experience  in  summing  up  at  a  glance  the  gen- 
eral characteristics  of  those  he  met,  however,  stood  him 

74 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

in  good  stead  —  he  remembered  that  the  man  had 
worn  a  long  brown  overcoat,  a  derby  hat,  and  car- 
ried in  his  hand  a  small  satchel.  The  latter,  which 
Duf renne  had  failed  to  mention,  indicated  a  traveler 
—  the  man's  words  to  Seltz,  on  purchasing  the  box 
of  powder,  seemed  to  confirm  it.  The  man  had 
walked,  apparently,  instead  of  taking  a  cab.  Char- 
ing Cross  station  was  but  a  short  distance  away. 
What  more  natural,  Duvall  reasoned,  than  that  the 
man  he  was  following  was  on  his  way  to  take  a 
train? 

Following  this  line  of  reasoning,  the  detective 
walked  hastily  in  the  direction  of  Charing  Cross, 
dodging  in  and  out  among  the  passers-by,  and  eying 
keenly  everyone  he  met,  in  the  hope  that  he  might 
discover  the  man  with  the  satchel.  He  was,  how- 
ever, doomed  to  disappointment.  After  spending 
over  fifteen  minutes  in  Charing  Cross  station,  watch- 
ing the  crowds  at  the  booking  offices,  the  telegraph 
and  telephone  booths  and  the  restaurant,  he  concluded 
that  he  had  been  mistaken  in  his  course  of  reasoning 
and  reluctantly  turned  his  steps  once  more  toward 
the  shop  of  M.  Perrier.  There  was,  of  course,  still 
the  chance  that  his  deductions  had  been  wrong. 
Seltz  might  still  have  the  snuff  box  in  his  possession, 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

and  the  man  with  the  satchel  be  merely  a  harmless 
individual  who  used  rice  powder  after  shaving.  He 
almost  reproached  himself  for  having  wasted  so  much 
time,  and  hurried  along  through  Piccadilly  Circus, 
in  a  state  of  considerable  perplexity. 

As  he  came  up  to  the  shop,  he  saw  Dufrenne  stand- 
ing before  the  window,  his  eyes  glued  to  the  pane. 
Something  in  his  astonished  expression  attracted  the 
detective's  attention  at  once.  He  tapped  the  curio 
dealer  lightly  on  the  shoulder. 

Dufrenne  turned  suddenly,  much  startled,  then 
recognizing  Duvall,  drew  him  to  one  side.  "  I  have 
watched  the  door  every  minute  since  you  left,"  he 
said  in  a  trembling  voice.  "  Seltz  did  not  come  out 
—  yet  he  is  not  inside.  No  one  is  there  but  Monsieur 
Perrier."  ' 

Duvall  started  back  with  a  muttered  exclamation. 
"  You  —  you  must  be  mistaken,"  he  cried. 

"  Look ! "  The  Frenchman  pointed  to  the  win- 
dow. Duvall  glanced  within.  The  proprietor  of  the 
place  was  its  only  occupant. 

The  detective  turned  to  his  companion  and  nodded. 
"  Come  inside,"  he  said,  shortly,  and  striding  up  to 
the  door,  threw  it  open  and  entered  the  place. 

Monsieur  Perrier,  startled  half  out  of  his  wits  by 
76 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

the  suddenness  with  which  Duvall  entered  the  room, 
dropped  the  comb  with  which  he  had  been  arranging 
his  hair  and  turned  with  an  alarmed  face.  "  The 
shop  —  it  is  closed  for  the  night,"  he  said.  "  My 
men  have  all  gone  home." 

"  Has  Seltz  gone?  "  asked  Duvall,  sharply. 

"  Seltz  ?  Surely.  He  left  immediately  after 
shaving  this  gentleman."  Perrier  indicated  Dufrenne 
with  a  fat  and  trembling  forefinger.  "  Is  anything 
wrong,  gentlemen  ?  Was  the  shave  not  satisfactory  ?  " 

Duvall  looked  at  the  curio  dealer  with  a  smile  of 
chagrin.  "  It's  perfectly  clear,  Dufrenne,"  he  said, 
somewhat  crestfallen.  "  Our  man  went  out  as  we 
were  walking  up  the  street  —  while  you  were  telling 
me  what  happened  in  the  shop." 

The  little  old  man  nodded.  Monsieur  Perrier  con- 
tinued to  gaze  at  his  visitors.  "  What  is  it  you  wish, 
gentlemen?  "  he  presently  inquired. 

"  Where  does  Seltz  live  ? "  Duvall  demanded, 
sharply. 

"  Alas  —  I  do  not  know.  He  has  worked  for  me 
but  three  months.  I  knew  nothing  of  him  —  nothing 
at  all.  He  —  he  asked  for  leave  of  absence  yester- 
day —  he  was  to  be  gone  a  week,  but  to-night  he  told 
me  that  he  would  not  go." 

77 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Duvall's  eyes  lit  up.  He  turned  to  Dufrenne. 
"  After  what  happened  —  to-night,"  he  said, 
significantly,  "  he  feared  to  leave  —  thinking  that  his 
going  away  would  be  an  admission  of  his  guilt." 

Again  Dufrenne  nodded.  Monsieur  Perrier  looked 
at  them  with  bulging  eyes.  "  Guilt !  "  he  exclaimed. 
"  Has  this  fellow  Seltz  been  doing  anything  he  should 
not?  " 

"  Possibly,"  Duvall  ejaculated,  dryly.  "  Do  you 
happen  to  know  where  he  was  going?  " 

"  He  —  he  said  something  about  visiting  his  par- 
ents. Oh  —  gentlemen  —  I  beg  of  you,  do  not  cause 
any  scandal  —  it  would  ruin  my  trade.  I  shall  dis- 
charge the  fellow  at  once." 

"  You  will  do  nothing  of  the  sort,"  exclaimed  Du- 
vall, angrily.  "  If  he  reports  for  duty  to-morrow, 
say  nothing  to  him  of  our  visit,  or  it  will  be  worse 
for  you."  He  leaned  toward  the  terrified  barber. 
"  I  am  a  detective,"  he  said,  shortly.  "  Be  careful 
what  you  do." 

Monsieur  Perrier  sank  upon  his  knees,  his  hands 
lifted  in  supplication.  "  Mon  Dieu  —  what  shall  I 
do  —  my  business  —  it  will  be  desolated  —  what  shall 
I  do?  " 

"  Get  up,  and  hold  your  tongue  first  of  all.  After 
78 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

that,  tell  me,  if  you  can,  where  it  was  that  Seltz 
intended  to  go,  to  visit  his  parents  ?  " 

"  He  spoke  of  Brussels  —  he  intended  to  take  the 
night  boat  from  Harwich  to  Antwerp.  I  heard  him 
discussing  his  plans  with  one  of  the  other  men.'* 

"  Brussels !  "  Duvall  hurriedly  glanced  at  his  watch. 
"  There's  just  time,  if  we  hurry  —  come."  He 
turned  to  Duf  renne,  excitement  showing  in  every  line 
of  his  face.  As  he  hurried  toward  the  door  he  spoke 
over  his  shoulder  to  Monsieur  Perrier.  "  Don't  open 
your  mouth  to  a  soul  —  do  you  hear?  If  you  do, 
you'll  get  yourself  into  a  peck  of  trouble."  The 
last  thing  they  heard  as  they  left  the  shop  was  the 
barber's  howls  of  assent. 

At  the  corner  Duvall  signaled  a  passing  cab. 
"  Liverpool  Street  station,  in  a  hurry,"  he  cried. 
"  Half  a  crown  extra,  if  you  make  the  boat  train 
for  Harwich." 

Dufrenne  gazed  at  his  companion  in  bewilderment. 
"  I  do  not  understand,  Monsieur  Duvall,"  he  began, 
but  the  detective  cut  him  short.  "  The  thing  is  as 
plain  as  a  pipe  stem,"  he  said.  "  Seltz  expected  to 
get  the  snuff  box  from  the  Ambassador's  man  this 
afternoon,  and  had  made  his  arrangements  to  leave 
with  it  for  Brussels  at  once.  The  events  of  the  even- 

.79 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

ing  —  culminating  in  Noel's  murder,  made  him  fear  to 
do  so.  He  realized  that  the  note,  delivered  to  him 
by  one  of  the  Ambassador's  servants,  might  attract 
suspicion  toward  him,  and  therefore  wisely  made  up 
his  mind  to  remain  quietly  where  he  was,  sending  the 
box  by  some  friend.  He  dared  not  hand  the  box 
to  him  at  any  place  outside  the  shop,  for  fear  he 
might  be  watched.  No  doubt  he  arranged  with  his 
friend  to  come  to  the  place  just  before  closing,  and 
to  pretend  to  buy  the  face  powder,  as  you  saw  him 
do.  Seltz  had  only  to  turn  the  powder  out  of  the 
package,  put  the  snuff  box  inside,  and  the  thing 
was  done.  This  he  no  doubt  did  at  some  opportune 
moment  during  the  evening,  when  he  was  certain  he 
was  not  observed.  It  is  a  mighty  clever  scheme  — 
I'll  admit.  You  saw  nothing  suspicious  about  the 
transaction,  and  I  confess  that  I  did  not  realize  its 
significance  at  the  time.  Naturally  the  man  to  whom 
he  gave  the  box  will  make  for  Brussels  at  once, 
since  it  was  to  that  point  that  Seltz  intended  going. 
No  doubt  he  was  operating  in  the  interests  of  some- 
one else  —  some  third  person  to  whom  the  box  is 
of  great  value,  and  who  has  agreed  to  pay  a  large 
sum  for  it  on  delivery.  You  saw  the  fellow  who 
bought  the  powder  hand  Seltz  money  —  how  much 

80 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

you  could  not  tell.  It  may  be  that  Seltz  was  obliged 
to  divide  the  reward  with  his  friend,  and  that  the 
latter  has  already  turned  over  to  Seltz  his  share  in 
advance.  Of  that  we  cannot  be  certain,  nor  is  it 
material.  Seltz  is  undoubtedly  guilty  of  the  mur- 
der of  the  man  Noel,  but  to  stay  here  and  arrest  him 
now  would  only  defeat  the  object  we  have  in  view. 
After  the  box  has  been  recovered,  we  can  return  and 
deal  with  Seltz.  You  may  be  quite  sure  he  will  not 
dare  to  run  away,  for  fear  that  by  so  doing  he  would 
admit  his  guilt." 

Dufrenne  looked  at  the  detective  in  admiration. 
"  You  reason  well,  monsieur,"  he  remarked.  "  But 
why  should  they  be  taking  the  box  to  Brussels?  " 

"  That  I  cannot  tell  you,  of  course,  except  that, 
as  I  said  before,  the  plot  to  steal  it  inevitably  orig- 
inated there.  We  shall  learn  more  to-morrow,  after  we 
have  arrived  in  the  city.  The  next  thing  to  be  done 
is  to  find  our  man." 

They  arrived  at  Liverpool  Street  station  just  in 
time  to  swing  aboard  the  train  for  Harwich  as  it  was 
pulling  out.  There  were  not  many  passengers  — 
they  found  themselves  in  a  smoking-compartment 
quite  to  themselves. 

"  There  is  no  use  in  attempting  to  do  anything  until 
81 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

we  reach  Harwich,"  the  detective  remarked,  pulling 
his  hat  over  his  eyes.  He  leaned  back  and  began  to 
speculate  disgustedly  upon  the  events  of  the  day. 
Married  at  noon  —  torn  from  his  wife  within  an  hour 
—  in  London  at  night  —  a  murder  —  and  now  a 
wild  chase  to  Brussels  after  a  snuff  box.  It  seemed 
almost  ludicrous.  He  smiled  grimly.  He  had  not 
expected  to  spend  in  quite  this  way  the  first  twelve 
hours  of  his  honeymoon. 


CHAPTER  VH 

ON  the  morning  of  her  first  day  at  Dr.  Hart- 
mann's  sanatorium,  Grace  Duvall  rose  early, 
and  dressed  herself  for  a  walk.  She  was  determined, 
if  possible,  to  communicate  the  results  of  her  adven- 
ture the  night  before  to  the  French  police  in  Brussels, 
and  realizing  that  to  do  so  by  the  only  means  in 
her  power,  namely,  the  young  man  who  drove  the  de- 
livery wagon,  might  involve  considerable  risk  of  dis- 
covery, she  dressed  herself  as  simply  as  possible,  in 
a  dark-gray  suit  and  white  shirtwaist. 

She  had  her  breakfast  in  her  room,  and  then  told 
the  nurse  that  she  intended  to  take  a  walk  in  the 
grounds.  During  breakfast  she  complained  of  the 
bread  which  was  served  her  —  and  informed  the  maid 
that  in  her  country  people  ate  hot  bread  at  break- 
fast. The  woman  seemed  surprised.  "  Hot  bread !  " 
she  exclaimed.  "  Mon  Dieu!  "  Who  ever  heard  of 
such  a  thing." 

"  If  you  bake  your  bread  here  in  the  house,"  Grace 
went  on,  "  you  could  easily  serve  hot  bread  or  rolls 
to  me." 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

**  Impossible,  mademoiselle.  All  our  bread  comes 
from  a  bakery  in  the  city.  A  young  man  brings 
it  each  morning  at  ten  o'clock." 

Grace  laughed  inwardly.  This  was  just  the  in- 
formation for  which  she  was  seeking.  It  was  then 
a  little  after  nine.  She  felt  tired  and  worn  from 
her  almost  sleepless  night,  and  her  appearance  showed 
it.  When  she  told  the  nurse  that  she  intended  to 
take  a  stroll,  and  get  some  air,  the  latter  nodded. 
"  Dr.  Hartmann  has  recommended  it,"  she  said. 
"  He  is  a  great  believer  in  the  value  of  fresh  air." 
The  woman  made  no  reference  to  the  events  of  the 
night  before,  nor  did  Grace.  She  knew  that  sleep 
walkers  were  not  supposed  to  remember  anything  that 
occurred  during  their  attacks  of  somnambulism. 

On  the  way  out  she  met  Dr.  Hartmann,  returning 
from  his  after-breakfast  constitutional.  He  was  just 
entering  his  office.  "  Good  morning,  Miss  Ellicott," 
he  said,  pleasantly.  "  May  I  ask  you  to  step  inside 
a  moment?  There  are  a  few  questions  I  should  like 
to  ask  you." 

She  obeyed,  much  against  her  will.  It  was  nearly 
half -past  nine,  she  knew,  and  she  must  not  miss  the 
delivery  man,  if  she  was  to  send  her  message  to  Brus- 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

sels.     She  heard  the  doctor  saying  that  he  would 
detain  her  but  a  few  moments. 

His  first  question  sent  the  color  to  her  cheeks,  and 
she  hesitated  before  answering  it,  realizing  that  it 
was  a  trap.  "  Do  you  feel  any  the  worse,  miss,  from 
the  experiences  of  last  night?  "  he  inquired. 

For  a  moment  she  was  about  to  say  "  no,"  but 
caught  herself  in  time.  "  What  experiences  ?  "  she 
asked,  innocently  enough.  "  Did  I  have  an  at- 
tack?" 

She  fancied  that  the  doctor  appeared  relieved.  He 
smiled  as  he  replied.  "  You  wandered  about  a  little. 
The  nurse  must  have  been  negligent.  I  have  rep- 
rimanded her.  You  might  readily  have  a  serious 
accident,  if  left  to  yourself." 

.Grace  looked  at  him  with  a  smile  which  scarcely 
concealed  her  agitation.  "  I  hope  I  caused  no 
trouble,"  she  said.  "  It  is  a  frightful  affliction.  I 
trust  you  will  be  able  to  do  something  for  me." 

"  Don't  worry,  my  dear  young  lady.  We  shall 
cure  you  beyond  a  doubt.  I  think,  however,  that 
it  will  be  necessary  to  employ  hypnosis.  All  cases 
such  as  yours  respond  most  readily  to  hypnotic  sug- 
gestion. However,  I  shall  observe  your  case  for  a 

85. 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

while  longer,  before  making  a  decision.  You  are  go- 
ing out  for  a  walk,  I  see." 

"  Yes.  I  love  the  air."  She  rose  with  a  secret 
fear  of  the  man  in  her  heart.  If  he  should  hypnotize 
her,  what  was  there  to  prevent  his  learning  everything. 
She  determined  to  avoid  this  method  of  treatment  at 
all  costs,  yet  could  not  see  how  to  do  so  without 
arousing  his  suspicions.  "  Good-morning,"  she  said, 
hastily,  as  she  left  the  room. 

The  walk  to  the  entrance  gate  in  the  fresh  autumn 
air  served  to  revive  her  spirits  wonderfully.  Her 
original  intention  had  been  to  stroll  down  the  avenue 
which  fronted  the  house,  in  the  hope  of  meeting  the 
delivery  wagon  on  the  way.  In  a  moment  the  futility 
of  this  plan  became  apparent.  She  did  not  know  from 
which  direction  the  wagon  would  appear,  nor  would 
she  be  able  to  recognize  it,  even  should  she  be  lucky 
enough  to  meet  it.  She  paused  at  the  gate,  un- 
certain, then  began  to  walk  along  a  path  which  led 
among  the  trees  and  shrubbery,  with  one  eye  all  the 
while  upon  the  gateway  at  the  entrance.  Once  or 
twice  vehicles  passing  along  the  road  outside  startled 
her  into  sudden  action ;  she  went  toward  the  gate  only 
to  find  that  they  had  passed  on.  The  tenseness  of 
the  situation  began  to  get  on  her  nerves ;  in  her  fear 

86 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

she  was  certain  that  she  was  being  watched  from  the 
house,  or  by  the  gardener  in  the  distance  who  was 
engaged  in  taking  the  leaves  from  the  graveled 
walks.  She  had  almost  given  up  in  despair  when  she 
heard  the  rumble  of  an  approaching  cart,  and  saw 
a  smart  little  wagon  driven  by  a  young  man  in  a 
blue  jacket  with  large  brass  buttons,  enter  the  gate. 

She  went  quickly  toward  the  roadway,  pretending 
an  interest  in  the  horse.  The  young  man  saw  her 
approaching,  and  looked  at  her  shrewdly.  She  gave 
a  slight  nod,  and  continued  to  approach  him. 
All  of  a  sudden  he  threw  down  the  reins,  gave  an 
exclamation,  and  jumping  from  the  wagon,  began 
to  inspect  the  horse's  feet  with  great  deliberatenesa 
and  care. 

Grace  went  up  to  the  horse,  and  began  patting 
its  nose.  "  Poor  fellow,"  she  said,  consolingly,  in 
English,  looking  all  the  while  at  the  young  man's 
face. 

"  Are  you  Miss  Ellicott? "  he  said  suddenly  in 
rather  halting  English,  without  turning  his  head. 

"  Yes."  Her  reply  was  quick,  eager.  "  Dr.  Hart- 
mann  is  expecting  a  messenger  from  London  with  the 
stolen  snuff  box  to-day  or  to-morrow.  I  heard  them 
talking  about  it,  last  night.  The  messenger  is  a 

87 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

stranger  to  him.  He  does  not  suspect  that  I  am 
watching  him." 

The  boy  nodded  gravely.  "  You  are  instructed 
to  remain  near  the  front  of  the  house,  or  in  the 
reception-room  inside,  as  much  as  possible,  during 
the  day.  The  man  from  London  is  expected  this 
morning.  He  may  be  here  at  any  moment.  Keep 
your  eyes  open."  He  began  to  whistle  merrily,  pre- 
tended to  remove  a  stone  from  one  of  the  horse's 
shoes,  sprang  back  into  the  wagon  and  drove  off  to 
the  house,  without  paying  any  further  attention  to 
her. 

Grace  walked  slowly  up  the  driveway,  and  finding 
a  bench  near  a  bed  of  geraniums,  sat  down  and  pre- 
tended to  read  a  book  which  she  had  brought  with  her. 
After  a  time,  the  delivery  wagon  returned,  but  the 
boy  did  not  even  glance  at  her  as  he  passed  out. 
She  noticed,  however,  that  he  was  driving  rapidly  and 
appeared  to  be  in  a  great  hurry. 

She  sat  on  the  bench  for  over  an  hour,  wondering 
what  would  be  the  next  development  in  this  mysteri- 
ous affair.  She  could  not  shake  off  the  idea  that 
she  would  soon  see  Richard,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  she  had  no  definite  reasons  upon  which  to  base 
her  hopes.  One  thing,  however,  seemed  certain.  If 

88 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

the  man  with  the  stolen  snuff  box  had  arrived  in 
Brussels,  it  clearly  meant  that  Richard  had  failed  to 
capture  him  in  London,  and  it  seemed  not  unreason- 
able to  suppose  that  he  would  be  following  him. 

She  thought  about  the  matter  so  much  that  it  in- 
terfered with  her  attempts  to  read  the  book.  After 
a  while  she  closed  it,  and  sat  watching  the  distant 
gardener  as  he  ceaselessly  raked  the  gravel  paths. 
Everything  seemed  so  quiet,  so  full  of  peace  —  every- 
thing, in  fact,  but  her  own  thoughts.  Somehow  it 
seemed  impossible  to  believe  that  underneath  all  the 
beauty  of  this  clear  autumn  day  lay  plotting,  and 
tragedy,  and  even  death. 

It  was  close  to  noon,  when  she  ceased  her  musings, 
and  rising,  went  toward  the  house.  Sitting  so  long  in 
the  open  air  had  made  her  a  bit  chilly.  She  de- 
termined to  seek  the  grateful  warmth  of  the  recep- 
tion-room. As  she  mounted  the  steps  of  the  house 
she  heard  sounds  of  a  cab  being  driven  rapidly  along 
the  main  street,  and  a  sudden  intuition  warned  her 
that  something  of  an  unusual  nature  was  about  to 
happen.  She  glanced  back,  as  the  servant  opened  the 
door  in  response  to  her  ring,  and  was  not  surprised 
to  see  that  the  vehicle  had  entered  the  grounds,  and 
was  rapidly  approaching  the  house. 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Her  hasty  glance  showed  her  that  it  contained  but 
a  single  occupant,  a  man,  and  in  spite  of  the  dis- 
tance, she  fancied  that  she  detected  something  famil- 
iar about  the  poise  of  his  head  and  shoulders.  The 
thought  was  but  momentary  —  she  stepped  at  once 
into  the  reception-room  at  the  right,  sat  down  by 
the  fire,  and  opening  her  book,  pretended  to  be  deeply 
absorbed  in  its  contents.  In  reality  she  was  observing 
narrowly  the  maid  in  the  hallway,  who  stood  at  the 
open  door,  waiting  to  admit  the  man  who  was  driving 
up  in  the  cab. 


90 


CHAPTER  VIII 

WHEN  Richard  Duvall  and  Dufrenne  arrived 
at  Harwich,  on  their  way  from  London,  the 
former  requested  his  companion  to  turn  up  his  coat 
collar,  pull  his  soft  hat  over  his  eyes,  and  put  on 
his  spectacles.  He  feared  that  the  man  they  were 
trying  to  locate  might  recognize  the  curio  dealer  as 
the  person  who  had  occupied  the  chair  next  to  him  in 
Monsieur  Perrier's  barber  shop  earlier  in  the  evening. 
He  also  requested  the  Frenchman  to  make  his  way 
to  the  boat  alone,  keeping  a  sharp  lookout  for  the 
man  in  the  brown  overcoat. 

Duvall  himself  joined  the  straggling  crowd  of 
sleepy  passengers  as  they  went  aboard  the  steamer 
for  Antwerp,  his  eyes  searching  every  passenger  about 
him  for  some  sight  of  the  one  he  sought.  Once  he 
thought  he  recognized  the  man,  a  long  way  off,  go- 
ing up  the  steamer's  gang  plank,  but  he  could  not  be 
sure,  in  the  flickering  light,  that  he  was  right. 

He  went  aboard  the  boat,  in  some  doubt  as  to 
91 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

whether,  after  all,  his  course  of  reasoning  might  not 
be  incorrect.  Here  he  was  bound  for  the  Continent, 
on  the  heels  of  a  man  whom  he  had  no  real  proof  was 
not  at  this  moment  sleeping  peacefully  in  his  bed  in 
London. 

The  situation  was  a  trying  one.  He  lit  a  cigar  and 
began  to  pace  the  deck  nervously,  inspecting  the  few 
passengers  who  had  elected  to  remain  outside,  before 
directing  his  steps  to  the  saloon  below. 

After  some  five  minutes  spent  in  a  useless  search, 
he  observed  a  familiar  figure  approaching  him  from 
the  direction  of  the  companionway,  and  at  once  saw 
that  it  was  Dufrenne.  The  latter  passed  him  with- 
out any  sign  of  recognition,  but  just  as  their  elbows 
were  almost  touching,  said  in  a  low  voice,  "  He  is 
below,  in  the  saloon,  monsieur.  Has  not  taken  a 
stateroom." 

Duvall  continued  his  walk  about  the  decks  for  a 
few  moments  longer,  then  threw  away  his  cigar,  and 
descended  to  the  saloon.  A  number  of  passengers 
were  dozing  on  the  sofas,  or  in  chairs,  and  at  a  table 
several  were  playing  cards.  He  paused  for  a  moment 
to  watch  the  game,  his  eyes  searching  the  room  for 
the  man  in  the  brown  overcoat.  After  a  time  he 
located  him,  sprawled  in  an  easy  chair,  his  eyes 

92 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

closed,  his  satchel  tossed  carelessly  upon  the  floor 
beside  him. 

The  detective  began  to  stroll  about  the  place,  as 
though  in  deep  thought.  His  eyes  were  fixed,  how- 
ever, upon  the  face  of  the  man  in  the  chair.  It  was 
a  determined  face,  as  the  thin  lips  and  close-set  eyes 
showed,  but  Duvall  noted  with  satisfaction  signs  of 
weakness  about  the  half -open  mouth.  The  man  was 
undoubtedly  sleeping  soundly. 

Duvall  was  at  a  loss  to  know  just  what  to  do. 
He  was  convinced  that  the  ivory  snuff  box,  upon  the 
recovery  of  which  Monsieur  Lefevre  had  assured  him 
the  honor  of  France  itself  depended,  was  within  ten 
feet  of  him,  yet  he  could  do  nothing,  apparently, 
at  the  moment,  to  regain  it.  To  arrest  the  man,  ex- 
cept on  French  soil,  was  out  of  the  question.  Even 
could  he  do  so,  the  package  which  the  latter  had  so 
carelessly  slipped  into  his  overcoat  pocket  in  Mon- 
sieur Perrier's  shop  might  contain,  after  all,  but  a 
harmless  box  of  rice  powder,  and  he  would  be  hard  put 
to  explain  satisfactorily  his  action.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  presence  of  the  snuff  box  on  the  man's 
person,  supposing  this  to  be  beyond  question,  was 
not  in  itself  sufficient  to  warrant  placing  him  under  ar- 
rest. He  might  claim  it  as  his  own  property.  There 

93 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

was  nothing  to  show  that  it  had  been  stolen.  Clearly 
the  only  thing  to  do  was  to  attempt  to  get  the  box 
from  him  by  stealth. 

After  a  long  time  spent  in  debating  the  matter  pro 
and  con.,  Duvall  threw  himself  into  a  chair  close  to 
the  one  which  the  man  he  was  watching  occupied, 
and  pretended  to  sleep.  Of  Dufrenne  he  saw  noth- 
ing. After  perhaps  an  hour,  the  card  game  ceased, 
the  players  retired  to  their  staterooms,  or  to  near-by 
sofas,  and  a  steward  began  to  lower  the  lights. 
Presently  not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard  throughout  tha 
saloon,  except  the  chorus  of  snores  from  the  sleeping 
passengers,  and  the  creaking  of  the  vessel  as  she 
plunged  into  the  heavy  Channel  swell. 

The  detective  slowly  advanced  his  foot,  and  with 
infinite  patience,  began  to  draw  toward  him  the  small 
leather  satchel  which  lay  beside  the  man's  chair. 
He  did  this  so  slowly  and  imperceptibly  that  the 
operation  occupied  the  best  part  of  a  quarter  of  an 
hour.  At  last  the  bag  was  safely  pushed  beneath  the 
folds  of  his  overcoat,  which  he  had  removed  on  sitting 
down,  and  now  lay  thrown  carelessly  over  his  knees. 

He  bent  over,  noiselessly,  his  hand  beneath  the  folds 
of  the  coat,  and  began  to  fumble  with  the  catch  of 
the  satchel.  In  a  few  moments  he  managed  to  open 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

it,  and  with  nervous  fingers  examined  the  contents  of 
the  bag.  Guided  by  the  sense  of  touch  only,  he  was 
able  to  identify  successively  a  razor  case,  a  shaving 
brush,  a  cotton  nightshirt  and  a  number  of  other 
articles  of  an  ordinary  and  usual  nature.  He  had  al- 
most given  up  the  search,  when  his  fingers  closed  about 
a  small  round  object,  done  up  in  paper.  His  heart 
gave  a  leap  of  joy.  He  could  feel  the  coarse  string 
with  which  the  package  was  bound  and  could  tell 
from  its  lightness  that  it  contained  probably  what 
he  sought.  In  a  moment  he  had  drawn  it  noiselessly 
from  the  satchel  and  transferred  it  to  the  pocket 
of  his  coat. 

The  process  of  closing  the  bag  and  returning  it  to 
its  former  position  was  accomplished  without  waking 
the  sleeping  occupant  of  the  near-by  chair.  Duvall 
was  conscious  of  a  feeling  of  exultation.  He 
yawned,  stretched  himself,  glanced  with  great  de- 
liberation at  his  watch,  then  rose  and  quietly  left  the 
room. 

The  decks  seemed  deserted.  After  some  trouble  he 
managed,  however,  to  locate  Dufrenne,  standing  be- 
side the  rail  in  the  shadow  of  one  of  the  lifeboats. 
He  went  up  to  him  and  saw  that  his  teeth  were  chat- 
tering with  the  cold.  Duvall  could  not  repress  a  feel- 

95 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

ing  of  admiration  for  the  little  old  Frenchman,  who, 
rather  than  risk  for  a  moment  his  identification  by 
the  man  they  were  following,  had  elected  to  spend  the 
night  wandering  about  the  decks.  His  patriotism 
was  proof  against  even  the  cold. 

Duvall  touched  him  gently  on  the  arm.  "I  have 
secured  it,"  he  remarked,  quietly. 

Dufrenne  turned.  "  The  snuff  box?  "  he  whis- 
pered excitedly. 

The  detective  nodded,  and  cautiously  drew  the  cir- 
cular package  from  his  pocket.  "  It  was  in  his 
satchel,"  he  remarked,  as  he  began  to  remove  the 
string. 

Dufrenne's  lips  moved.  He  seemed  to  be  offering 
up  a  silent  prayer  of  thanks.  He  was  scarcely  able 
to  contain  his  impatience  as  the  detective  slowly  un- 
wrapped the  parcel,  disclosing  a  small  blue  paste- 
board box,  on  the  cover  of  which,  in  black,  appeared 
the  words,  "  Poudre  Perrier."  In  a  moment  Duvall 
had  removed  the  lid,  and  plunged  his  finger  into  the 
box.  As  he  did  so,  he  uttered  an  exclamation  of 
utter  astonishment  and  disgust.  The  box  contained 
nothing  but  rice  powder. 


CHAPTER  IX 

IT  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  feelings  of 
annoyance  and  chagrin  which  swept  over  Richard 
Duvall  as  he  tossed  the  box  of  Monsieur  Perrier's 
rice  powder  over  the  side  of  the  vessel  and  watched 
it  float  for  a  moment  on  the  crest  of  a  wave  before 
being  swept  into  the  darkness.  He  glanced  for  an 
instant  at  his  companion,  then  turned  away  as  he 
saw  the  latter's  stare  of  astonishment  and  dismay. 
He  wanted  to  be  alone,  to  think  out  this  matter  for 
himself. 

With  a  confusion  of  ideas  racing  through  his  brain 
he  began  to  pace  the  deck,  trying  to  discover  wherein 
his  reasoning  had  been  at  fault.  He  went  back  to 
the  gruesome  scene  at  the  house  of  the  Ambassador 
—  the  murdered  valet,  with  the  grim  seal  of  silence 
upon  his  lips.  Whoever  had  committed  this  murder 
had  made  away  with  the  snuff  box,  of  that  he  felt 
certain.  Upon  what,  then,  did  his  suspicions  of  Seltz 
rest?  The  evidence  was  slender  —  merely  that  the 

97 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

latter  had  had  an  appointment  to  meet  the  murdered 
man  that  afternoon,  and  that  a  person  answering 
Seltz's  description  had  inquired  for  the  latter  at  the 
servants'  entrance  at  Monsieur  de  Grissac's  that  even- 
ing. Not  very  convincing,  surely,  yet  taken  with 
Seltz's  evident  intention  to  leave  London  for  Brus- 
sels that  night,  certainly  significant.  Following  then 
his  original  hypothesis,  that  Seltz  was  the  guilty  man, 
and  had  the  box  in  his  possession,  two  solutions  of 
the  matter  only  seemed  possible.  The  first  was,  the 
man  in  the  saloon  below,  anticipating  perhaps  some 
attempt  to  search  his  baggage,  had  deliberately  pro- 
vided himself,  through  Seltz,  with  a  second  package, 
containing  a  box  of  rice  powder  only,  which  he  had 
placed  in  his  satchel,  in  the  belief  that,  if  found,  its 
innocent  contents  would  divert  from  him  further  sus- 
picion. The  careless  way  in  which  he  had  thrown 
his  satchel  on  the  floor  beside  him,  favored  this  theory. 
It  seemed,  on  sober  thought,  extremely  unlikely  that 
the  bearer  of  so  valuable  a  piece  of  property  would 
be  so  thoughtless  as  to  place  it  loosely  in  an  unlocked 
hand-bag.  Even  now  the  real  package  might  be  re- 
posing safely  in  some  secure  inner  pocket. 

The   other   solution   was    equally    probable.     The 
purchase  of  the  face  powder  might  have  been  quite 

98 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

innocent  and  bona  fide.  The  man  below  might  know- 
nothing  whatever  about  the  snuff  box,  and  Seltz  might 
even  now  be  on  his  way  to  Brussels  to  dispose  of  it, 
in  accordance  with  his  original  intentions.  If  so, 
however,  why  had  he  informed  Monsieur  Perrier  that 
he  had  changed  his  mind,  and  would  not  take  the 
vacation  he  had  requested  ?  Was  this  merely  a  blind, 
to  avert  suspicion,  in  case  the  unexpected  murder 
of  the  man  Noel  resulted  in  inquiries  being  made  of 
Monsieur  Perrier  ?  Of  course,  when  Seltz  had  spoken 
of  his  intention  to  go  to  Brussels,  no  thought  of 
murder  was  in  his  mind  —  he  had  no  vital  object  in 
hiding  his  movements  —  not  having  any  reason  to 
suppose  that  suspicion  could  possibly  be  attracted  to 
him.  After  the  sending  of  the  note  to  him  by  Noel, 
he  must  have  realized  the  danger  of  his  position,  and 
told  Monsieur  Perrier  that  his  plans  had  changed, 
while  in  reality  fully  intending  to  carry  them  out  as 
he  had  originally  intended. 

There  was,  of  course,  a  possible  third  solution, 
namely,  that  Seltz  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  murder 
at  all,  and  was  merely  an  innocent  barber,  quite  un- 
aware of  all  the  mystery  that  was  being  woven  about 
himself  and  his  movements.  In  that  event,  as  Du- 
vall  realized  with  the  deepest  chagrin,  he  would  be 

99 


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obliged  to  return  to  London,  and  begin  his  investi- 
gations all  over  again.  In  this  event,  there  could  be 
but  one  starting  point  —  the  murder  of  the  valet. 
Yet  his  painstaking  examination  of  the  scene  of  the 
murder  had  shown  an  utter  absence  of  any  clues. 
Even  the  weapon  which  had  caused  the  valet's  death 
was  his  own  property  —  the  finger  print  on  the  seal 
which  closed  his  lips  made  with  his  own  forefinger. 
And  here  the  detective  began  to  feel  a  deep  sense 
of  doubt  as  to  the  accuracy  of  his  conclusions  re- 
garding Seltz's  guilt.  Would  a  man  of  his  type 
have  taken  the  trouble  to  place  the  gruesome  seal 
upon  the  dead  man's  lips?  This  seemed,  on  second 
thoughts,  the  act  of  a  hardened  and  unfeeling  crim- 
inal —  a  man  to  whom  murder  was  a  scientific  accom- 
plishment, not  a  hasty  and  hideous  crime.  Was 
Seltz  such  a  man?  There  was  no  answer  to  this 
question  —  the  fleeting  glimpses  which  Duvall  had 
secured  of  his  face,  through  the  barber-shop  window, 
had  told  him  little  or  nothing  of  the  man's  character. 
One  fact,  however,  presently  forced  itself  upon  the 
detective's  mind.  If  Seltz  had  left  the  shop  for 
Brussels  that  night,  according  to  his  original  inten- 
tion, he  must  be  somewhere  on  the  boat.  No  night 

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route  from  London  to  Belgium  existed,  except  that 
by  way  of  Harwich.  He  blamed  himself  that  in  his 
eagerness  to  discover  the  stranger  with  the  satchel 
he  had  not  thought  to  look  for  Seltz. 

Upon  the  conclusion  of  his  deliberations,  Duvall 
crossed  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  boat,  where  he 
had  left  Dufrenne.  The  little  old  Frenchman  stood 
gazing  down  at  the  sea,  his  face  blue  with  cold,  and 
filled  with  a  look  of  bitter  disappointment.  He  did 
not  even  glance  up,  as  Duvall  joined  him. 

"  Come,  Monsieur  Dufrenne,"  the  detective  said, 
kindly.  "  Let  us  go  below." 

The  old  man  accompanied  him  without  a  word. 
As  they  reached  the  companionway,  however,  he 
spoke.  "  We  must  return  to  London  at  once,"  he 
said.  "  This  same  boat  will  take  us  back  to  Har- 
wich." 

"  Yes,"  Duvall  agreed,  "  unless  we  discover  that 
Seltz  is  aboard." 

"Seltz?"  The  Frenchman  looked  up,  puzzled, 
yet  with  an  expression  of  renewed  hope  in  his  eyes. 

"  Yes.  We  have  apparently  followed  the  wrong 
man.  In  that  case,  why  not  search  for  the  right  one. 
If  Seltz  is  on  board,  we  will  follow  him  to  Brussels. 

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If  not,  we  will  return  to  London.  We  can  make 
sure,  when  the  passengers  are  discharged  at  Ant- 
werp." 

Duf  renne  nodded  eagerly.  "  It  may  indeed  be 
possible,"  he  remarked,  as  they  entered  the  saloon. 

Most  of  the  passengers  were  on  deck  when  the 
steamer  reached  her  wharf  at  Antwerp,  but  in  spite 
of  a  careful  search,  Duvall  was  unable  to  locate 
Seltz  amongst  them.  He  stood  by  the  gang  plank, 
watching  the  crowd  as  it  left  the  boat,  his  eyes 
searching  restlessly  for  the  swarthy  countenance  of 
the  barber.  He  had  almost  given  up  hope,  when 
he  saw  a  belated  passenger  hurriedly  cross  the  deck 
and  dart  up  the  gang  plank.  He  moved  rapidly,  his 
throat  muffled  in  a  blue  neckcloth,  his  slouch  hat 
pulled  down  over  his  eyes,  but  the  glance  which 
Duvall  obtained  of  his  somewhat  scared  face  told 
him  at  once  that  he  had  located  his  man. 

He  signaled  quietly  to  Dufrenne,  who  had  been 
standing  discreetly  in  the  background  for  fear  the 
barber  might  recognize  him,  and  the  two  left  the 
boat  together,  some  forty  or  more  yards  in  Seltz's 
rear. 

They  did  not  make  any  attempt  to  follow  him 
closely.  There  seemed  no  room  for  doubt  that  he 

102 


was  bound  for  the  train  to  Brussels,  and  Ihivall  and 
his  companion  followed  along  at  a  leisurely  pace, 
showing  nothing  of  the  agitation  they  so  keenly 
felt. 

They  purposely  avoided  any  attempt  to  enter  the 
same  compartment  with  the  barber,  being  satisfied 
when  they  saw  him  climb  aboard  the  train.  They 
did,  however,  watch  the  departing  passengers  at  all 
stops,  and  when  they  rolled  into  the  station  at  Brus- 
sels, they  were  certain  that  their  man  was  aboard. 
Nor  were  they  mistaken.  They  saw  him  alight,  look 
swiftly  about  as  though  fearing  that  he  was  being 
followed,  and  then  start  at  a  rapid  pace  toward  the 
street. 

Duvall  went  after  him  at  once,  directing  Dufrenne 
to  go  to  the  Hotel  Metropole  and  secure  a  room  in 
his  own  name,  where  he  was  to  wait  until  he  heard 
from  his  companion.  These  instructions  given,  the 
detective  began  to  follow  Seltz  up  the  street. 

The  man  evidently  knew  the  town  well.  He  made 
no  pauses,  and  did  not  hesitate  at  any  time  during 
his  long  walk.  It  terminated  at  a  small,  third-class 
hotel  in  the  older  part  of  the  city,  where  he  went 
in,  entered  the  cafe,  and  selecting  a  table  in  a  dim 
corner,  ordered  breakfast. 

103 


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Duvall,  feeling  safe  in  leaving  him,  at  once  sought 
a  telephone  and  proceeded  to  call  up  Dufrenne  at  the 
Hotel  Metropole. 

The  latter,  meanwhile,  had  turned  from  the  rail- 
way station,  and  was  proceeding  up  the  street  at  a 
leisurely  pace,  when  a  young  man  approached  him 
from  behind,  and  touched  him  lightly  on  the  shoulder. 
"  Monsieur  Dufrenne?  "  he  inquired,  smiling. 

The  curio  dealer  glanced  at  the  man  who  had  ac- 
costed him,  and  an  answering  smile  lit  up  his  face. 
"  Oh,  Lablanche,  glad  to  see  you,"  he  said.  "  I  did 
not  know  you  were  on  this  case." 

"  Monsieur  Lefevre  sent  me  from  Paris  last  night. 
We  are  expecting  news  at  any  moment.  Monsieur 
Duvall  is  with  you,  I  observe." 

"  Yes.  He  is  following  the  man  from  London. 
He  will  telephone  me,  as  soon  as  he  learns  his  des- 
tination." 

The  man  whom  Dufrenne  had  addressed  as  La- 
blanche, looked  grave.  "  This  affair  has,  we  believe, 
been  engineered  by  a  physician  here  —  Dr.  Hart- 
mann  —  you  have  heard  of  him,  of  course." 

Dufrenne  turned  to  his  companion.  "  Hartmann 
—  the  man  of  the  stolen  war  plans.  Mon  Dieuf 
Why  did  I  not  think  of  him  before?  "  He  seemed 

104 


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deeply  chagrined.     "  Of  course  —  of  course  —  that 
explains  everything." 

"  Where  is  Monsieur  Duvall  to  communicate  with 
you?  "  Dufrenne's  companion  asked.  His  voice  held 
a  note  of  brisk  authority. 

"At  the  Hotel  Metropole.  I  shall  take  a  room 
there  at  once." 

"  Good.  I  must  leave  you  for  a  short  time.  Await 
news  from  me  at  the  hotel.  I  shall,  I  hope,  be  able 
to  inform  you,  within  half  an  hour,  whether  our  sus- 
picions regarding  Dr.  Hartmann  are  correct  or  not. 
If  they  are,  you  will  of  course  advise  Monsieur  Du- 
vall accordingly.  Above  all  things,  the  delivery  of 
the  snuff  box  to  Hartmann  must  be  prevented.  On 
that  point  the  Prefect  was  emphatic."  The  young 
man  turned  into  a  cross  street  as  he  concluded  and 
was  swallowed  up  in  the  crowd. 

Dufrenne,  after  securing  his  room  at  the  Hotel 
Metropole,  sat  down  to  wait.  He  did  not  have  to 
wait  long.  The  young  man,  Lablanche,  joined  him 
in  a  short  time.  "  We  have  just  learned,"  he  said, 
gravely,  "  that  our  suspicions  are  entirely  correct. 
Dr.  Hartmann  is  responsible  for  the  theft  of  the 
snuff  box,  and  is  momentarily  expecting  the  man  who 
is  to  deliver  it  to  him." 

105 


Dufrenne  looked  grave.  "  Duvall  should  know 
this  without  delay,'*  he  said. 

He  had  no  more  than  spoken,  when  the  telephone 
bell  in  his  room  rang.  He  hastened  to  reply  and 
found  Duvall  at  the  other  end  of  the  wire.  "  Come 
to  the  Hotel  Universelle,"  the  latter  said,  laconically. 
"  Hurry.  I  will  wait  for  you." 

Dufrenne  communicated  the  message  to  Lablanche. 
The  latter  nodded.  "  Good !  "  he  said.  "  Give  Mon- 
sieur Duvall  the  information  you  have,  and  above 
all,  impress  upon  him  the  necessity  of  acting  imme- 
diately. There  is  no  time  for  delay.  I  will  follow 
at  once,  with  another  of  our  men." 

The  curio  dealer  found  Duvall  pacing  anxiously 
up  and  down  the  hotel  corridor,  pretending  to  be 
searching  a  railway  time-table.  He  nodded  impercep- 
tibly toward  the  cafe  as  Dufrenne  entered,  then 
turned  and  went  out  into  the  street.  The  old  man 
followed  him  —  in  a  few  moments  they  were  conversing 
rapidly  in  the  doorway  of  a  near-by  shop. 

Dufrenne  had  but  a  few  words  to  say,  but  they  were 
sufficient  to  show  Duvall  the  extreme  gravity  of  the 
situation.  He  stood  for  several  moments,  consider- 
ing the  best  way  by  which  the  delivery  of  the  stolen 
snuff  box  to  Dr.  Hartmann  might  be  prevented. 

106 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Then  he  signaled  a  cab  which  he  saw  approaching. 
"  Seltz  is  breakfasting  —  inside,"  he  said  quickly  to 
Dufrenne.  "  Don't  let  him  out  of  your  sight.  I 
am  going  to  see  Dr.  Hartmann."  He  sprang  into 
the  cab,  gave  the  doctor's  name  to  the  cabman,  and 
in  a  moment  was  being  driven  rapidly  up  the  street, 
leaving  the  little  old  Frenchman  standing  blinking 
with  astonishment  on  the  sidewalk. 


107 


CHAPTER  X 

WHEN  Richard  Duvall  left  the  Hotel  Uni- 
verselle,  en  route  to  the  office  of  Dr.  Hart- 
mann,  he  had  no  definite  idea  of  just  what  he  in- 
tended to  do  on  reaching  there.  One  thought  was 
uppermost  in  his  mind  —  he  must  prevent,  in  some 
way,  and  at  any  cost,  the  delivery  of  the  snuff  box 
to  Hartmann,  and  since  to  follow  Seltz  to  the  latter's 
office  would  avail  him  nothing,  he  decided  to  precede 
him  there. 

During  the  drive,  he  began  to  formulate  a  plan, 
daring  in  its  conception,  extremely  dangerous  in  its 
execution,  yet  one  which,  if  carried  out  with  courage 
and  determination,  promised  success.  He  was  per- 
fecting in  his  mind  the  details  of  this  plan  when 
the  carriage  turned  into  the  driveway  at  Dr.  Hart- 
mann's. 

So  occupied  had  he  become  with  his  thoughts  that 
he  failed  to  observe  the  figure  of  Grace,  standing  be- 
hind the  maid  in  the  open  doorway;  she  disappeared 

108 


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into  the  reception-room  before  he  had  alighted  from 
the  cab.  He  went  up  to  the  servant,  assumed  an 
air  of  dignified  assurance,  and  announced  that  he 
wished  to  see  Dr.  Hartmann  at  once. 

The  maid  ushered  him  in,  glanced  into  the  parlor, 
observed  Grace  sitting  there,  apparently  reading,  and 
then  throwing  open  the  door  to  the  left  which  gave 
admittance  to  the  doctor's  office,  bade  Duvall  enter. 
The  latter  stepped  in  at  once,  without  looking  into 
the  room  across  the  hall.  Had  he  done  so,  he  would 
have  observed  his  wife,  whom  he  fully  supposed  to 
be  quietly  waiting  for  him  in  Paris,  rise  from  her 
chair  with  a  frightened  face  and  start  impulsively  to- 
ward him. 

For  a  moment  Grace  was  on  the  point  of  calling 
out  —  she  wanted  to  let  Richard  know  that  she  was 
there.  She  wanted  to  see  him  —  to  talk  to  him,  to 
realize  the  happiness  of  being  once  again  in  his  pres- 
ence. It  had  been,  since  their  parting  the  day  be- 
fore, her  constant  thought.  Then  she  suddenly  rea- 
lized that  Monsieur  Lefevre  had  warned  her  not  to 
appear  to  recognize  her  husband,  should  she  meet 
him  in  the  course  of  her  adventures.  The  thought 
checked  her  —  she  paused  at  the  door  of  the  recep- 
tion-room and  glanced  down  the  hall. 

109 


The  servant  who  had  admitted  Duvall  had  disap- 
peared toward  the  rear  of  the  house.  Everything 
about  her  seemed  quiet.  She  started  across  the  hall, 
determined  to  enter  the  room  into  which  Richard  had 
just  vanished,  when  she  heard  the  sound  of  rapid 
footsteps  approaching  her.  With  a  start  she  turned 
and  again  entered  the  parlor,  assuming  a  careless 
manner  she  by  no  means  felt. 

She  had  scarcely  seated  herself  in  the  chair  by 
the  fire,  and  opened  her  book,  when  she  saw  Dr. 
Hartmann  appear  in  the  hall  and  enter  the  door  which 
led  to  the  outer  office. 

Grace  was  undecided  as  to  what  she  should  do  next. 
Her  safest  course,  she  ultimately  concluded,  was  to 
do  nothing.  She  remained  quietly  in  her  seat,  pre- 
tending to  read  her  book,  but  all  the  while  watching, 
with  anxious  eyes,  the  door  on  the  other  side  of  the 
haU. 

Richard  Duvall,  meanwhile,  had  entered  the  wait- 
ing room,  his  mind  fully  made  up  as  to  the  course 
he  was  about  to  pursue.  During  the  few  moments 
which  intervened,  until  the  doctor's  arrival,  he  looked 
keenly  about  the  room,  examining  it  in  detail,  fixing 
its  entrances  and  exits  firmly  in  his  mind,  so  as  to 
be  prepared  for  any  emergency  which  might  arise. 

110 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

The  room  was  a  large  one.  Along  the  side  facing 
the  entrance  door,  as  well  as  that  which  fronted  on 
the  park,  were  big  curtained  windows,  set  in  deep 
recesses,  and  between  them,  cases  of  books.  At  the 
far  end  of  the  room,  toward  the  rear  of  the  house, 
was  another  door.  Duvall  stole  over  to  it,  listened 
carefully,  then  slowly  opened  it  and  looked  within. 
The  room  proved  to  be  the  doctor's  private  office,  and 
he  saw  at  once  that  it  was  built  in  a  sort  of  ell, 
and  could  not  be  entered  except  through  the  room  in 
which  he  stood.  There  was  a  door,  it  is  true,  in 
the  right-hand  wall,  which  had  once  given  entrance 
to  the  hall,  but  against  this  a  heavy  instrument  case, 
with  glass  doors,  now  stood. 

Duvall  withdrew  his  head  and  shoulders  from  the 
doorway,  nodding  to  himself  in  a  satisfied  way,  then 
noiselessly  closed  the  door  and  returned  to  the  center 
of  the  room. 

In  a  moment  Dr.  Hartmann  came  in,  glancing  at 
him  sharply.  "  Good-morning,  sir,"  he  remarked,  in 
French.  "  You  wish  to  see  me  ?  " 

The  detective  took  a  card-case  from  his  pocket  and 
tendered  the  doctor  a  card.  It  was  one  of  many 
which  he  carried  for  such  emergencies,  and  bore 
the  name  of  Stephen  Brooks. 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 


"  Yes,"  he  said,  pleasantly.  "  I  came  to  consult 
you  concerning  a  curious  case." 

"  Indeed !  "  The  doctor  looked  at  the  card  care- 
lessly. "  I  see  that  you  are  an  American."  He  be- 
gan to  speak  in  English.  "  Sit  down,  please." 

"  Thank  you."     Duvall  took  a  chair. 

"  What  is  the  nature  of  the  case,  may  I  ask  ?  " 

"  Doctor  —  I've  heard  so  much  of  your  wonderful 
cures  —  of  your  remarkable  success  in  treating  men- 
tal disorders,  that  I  have  ventured  to  come  to  you 
in  the  hope  that  you  may  be  able  to  help  me." 

The  doctor  smiled,  not  displeased  at  the  other's 
flattery.  "  What  is  the  cause  of  your  trouble,  Mr. 
Brooks?" 

Duvall  observed  him  thoughtfully  for  a  moment. 
"  If  a  person  has  delusions  upon  one  particular  sub- 
ject, is  he  on  that  account  necessarily  insane?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  Manias  of  various  sorts  are  not  un- 
common, and  generally  curable.  Why  do  you 
ask?  " 

"  Because  I  want  you  to  treat  such  a  case." 

The  doctor  considered  his  patient  narrowly.  "  Of 
course,  you  understand,  Mr.  Brooks,  that  my  pro- 
fessional charges  are  very  high." 

Duvall   took   out    his    pocketbook    and    removing 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

from  it  a  note  for  a  hundred  francs,  laid  it  care- 
lessly on  the  table.  "  I  have  understood  so,  Doctor," 
he  remarked.  "  Luckily  I  am  a  man  of  considerable 
wealth." 

"  In  that  event,"  Hartmann  remarked,  eying  the 
bill  in  a  gratified  way,  "  I  am  at  your  service. 
What  is  the  nature  of  your  complaint?  " 

"  It  isn't  about  myself  that  I  have  come,"  Du- 
vall  hastened  to  inform  him.  "  It  concerns  a  man 
in  my  employ  —  my  valet,  to  be  exact." 

"  Your  valet  ?  "  The  doctor  frowned,  and  made 
as  though  to  rise.  "  My  dear  sir  — " 

"  One  moment,  please,  Doctor.  The  man  is  a  most 
worthy  fellow.  He  has  been  in  my  service  for  years. 
A  Belgian,  too,  I  think.  I  have  a  very  high  regard 
for  him  —  an  excellent  servant,  except  for  the  pe- 
culiar delusions  with  which  he  has  lately  become  pos- 
sessed." 

"  I  fear  that  I  cannot  undertake  his  treatment, 
Mr.  Brooks.  I  receive  only  a  few  patients,  and  those 
of  the  highest  standing." 

"  I  know  that.  I  did  not  propose  to  have  the  man 
quartered  here  in  your  house.  I  merely  want  you  to 
examine  him,  in  order  that  I  may  find  out  whether  his 
case  is  curable  or  not.  If  it  is,  I  shall  take  him  to 

113 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Paris  and  place  him  under  treatment  —  if  not,  I 
must,  of  course,  discharge  him.  It  is  for  that  rea- 
son that  I  have  come  to  you." 

"  What  are  the  man's  symptoms  ?  "  asked  the  doc- 
tor, shortly. 

"  He  imagines,  from  time  to  time,  that  he  has  been 
robbed." 

"  That  is  by  no  means  uncommon.  I  have  seen 
many  such  cases.  Are  these  delusions  confined  to  any] 
one  subject?  " 

"  No.  At  times  he  fancies  that  money  has  been 
taken  from  him.  At  other  times,  jewelry  that  he 
has  never  possessed.  Once  he  accused  me  of  rob- 
bing him  of  a  pair  of  shoes,  and  demanded  that  I 
pay  him  a  large  sum  of  money  for  them.  I  have 
generally  succeeded  in  quieting  him  by  assuring  him 
that  the  stolen  articles  would  be  forthcoming  later 
on." 

"  Excellent.  And  how  long  has  this  condition  been 
in  evidence?  " 

"  About  a  month,  now.  During  the  past  week, 
however,  the  attacks  have  been  more  frequent.  Last 
night  he  informed  me  that  someone  had  taken  from 
him  a  diamond  ring  —  of  course  he  had  never  owned 
one  —  and  wanted  five  thousand  francs  in  return.  I 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

assured  him  that  I  would  get  him  the  money  this 
morning." 

"  The  case  does  not  seem  particularly  difficult,  Mr. 
Brooks,  from  what  you  tell  me.  Of  course  I  could 
determine  better  after  a  personal  examination." 

"  Exactly.  And  if  you  find  no  other  conditions  of 
an  alarming  nature,  you  think  a  cure  possible  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly.     When  can  I  see  the  man?  " 

Duvall  took  out  his  watch.  "  I  requested  him  to 
meet  me  here  to-day  at  noon,"  he  said.  "  I  did  not 
tell  him  he  was  coming  for  a  medical  examination. 
He  might  have  refused  to  come.  I  let  him  think 
that  you  might  be  able  to  recover  the  diamond  ring 
he  thinks  has  been  stolen  from  him.  I  thought 
it  best  to  humor  him.  I  should  have  brought  him 
with  me,  but  he  had  arranged  to  go  this  morning  to 
see  his  people,  who  live  in  the  town.  He  was  to  come 
directly  here,  after  leaving  them."  He  went  over 
to  the  window  and  looked  toward  the  road.  "  I  am 
surprised  that  he  is  so  late.  Usually  he  is  punc- 
tuality itself." 

The  doctor  rose.  "  No  doubt  he  will  be  here  very 
soon,"  he  remarked.  "  You  can  wait  here,  if  you 
like.  I  will  join  you  on  his  arrival.  Meanwhile,  as 
I  have  some  matters  to  attend  to  in  my  office,  I  beg 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

that  you  will  excuse  me."  He  opened  the  door  at 
the  rear  of  the  room,  which  led  to  his  private  office. 
"  When  the  man  arrives,  kindly  let  me  know." 

Duvall  glanced  toward  the  door  through  which  Dr. 
Hartmann  had  just  passed,  then  paused  for  several 
moments,  listening;  then  he  walked  noiselessly  across 
the  room,  and  paused  before  the  study  door.  Within 
all  was  quiet.  Stooping  down,  he  applied  his  eye 
to  the  keyhole.  Dr.  Hartmann  sat  at  a  large  rose- 
wood desk,  busily  writing. 

With  a  smile  of  satisfaction  the  detective  arose, 
and  going  to  the  door  which  led  to  the  hall,  drew 
from  the  lock  the  key  which  stood  in  it,  and  then, 
opening  the  door  slightly,  inserted  the  key  in  the 
lock  on  the  other  side  of  the  door.  As  he  did  so, 
he  peered  out  across  the  hall,  and  for  a  moment  the 
key  almost  dropped  from  his  fingers.  There,  facing 
him,  sat  Grace,  his  wife,  whom  he  had  supposed  to 
be  safely  in  Paris.  The  sight  for  a  moment  com- 
pletely upset  him  —  he  paused,  gazing  at  her  with 
an  expression  of  incredulity. 

Grace  rose,  and  came  toward  her  husband,  her  face 
pale,  her  lips  parted.  "  Richard,"  she  whispered 
softly,  then  became  suddenly  silent  as  he  pressed  his 
finger  to  his  lips. 

116 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

As  they  stood  there  thus,  facing  each  other  in 
grave  uncertainty,  Duvall  heard  the  sound  of  a  ve- 
hicle being  driven  up  the  graveled  road.  He  glanced 
toward  the  glass  entrance  door  and  saw  a  cab  ap- 
proaching the  house,  in  which  sat  Seltz.  He  turned 
to  Grace,  and  spoke  in  a  voice  so  low  as  to  be  scarcely 
audible. 

"  Open  the  door  at  once  —  before  the  man  can 
ring.  Pretend  to  be  a  maid.  Show  him  in  here 
immediately.  Quick."  He  withdrew  into  the  wait- 
ing-room, leaving  Grace  staring  at  him  in  amazement. 
For  a  moment  she  hesitated.  It  seemed  so  cruel,  to 
be  this  near  to  him,  and  yet  to  not  even  be  able  to 
touch  his  hand !  Then  she  went  quickly  to  the  front 
door  and  threw  it  open  as  Seltz  came  up  the  steps. 


117 


CHAPTER  XI 

RICHARD  DUVALL,  alone  in  Dr.  Hartmann's 
outer  office,  had  not  long  to  wait.  He  had 
hardly  succeeded  in  throwing  off  the  agitation  which 
the  unexpected  sight  of  Grace  had  caused  him,  when 
the  door  from  the  hall  was  opened,  and  Grace  ad- 
mitted Seltz  to  the  room. 

The  latter  glanced  at  Duvall  with  a  curious  look, 
but  said  nothing.  Grace  withdrew,  closing  the  door 
quietly  after  her.  The  detective  went  up  to  the  new- 
comer and  addressed  him  in  a  low  tone. 

"  You  are  Oscar  Seltz,  from  London  ?  "  he  asked, 
bluntly. 

The  man  appeared  greatly  taken  back.  "  Yes," 
he  said,  haltingly.  "  I  wish  to  see  Dr.  Hartmann." 

"About  the  snuff  box,  of  course?" 

Again  the  man  started.  "  Who  are  you?  "  he 
asked,  suddenly  suspicious. 

"  I  am  Dr.  Hartmann's  assistant.  He  has  been 
waiting  for  you.  You  have  the  box  with  you,  of 
course?  " 

118 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

The  man  felt  carefully  in  his  pocket,  and  presently 
drew  out  a  small  object  done  up  in  paper.  "  Yes,  I 
have  it.  The  price  was  to  be  twenty-five  hundred 
francs." 

"  That  is  correct,"  remarked  the  detective.  "  Give 
it  to  me." 

Seltz  drew  back  his  hand.  "I  want  the  money 
first,  and  I  cannot  deliver  it  to  any  one  but  Dr.  Hart- 
mann." 

"  Dr.  Hartmann  is  in  the  next  room,"  said  Duvall, 
with  a  pleasant  smile.  "  He  has  the  money  all  ready 
for  you.  I  will  call  him.  But  first,  let  me  see  if 
you  have  really  secured  what  we  want."  He  held  out 
his  hand.  "  Don't  be  afraid,"  he  said.  "  I  shall 
not  leave  the  room.  The  box  will  not  be  out  of  your 
sight." 

Seltz  appeared  to  consider  the  matter  for  a  brief 
moment,  but  the  detective's  manner  reassured  him. 
He  extended  the  package  toward  Duvall.  "  It  is 
there,  all  right,"  he  laughed,  softly.  "  And  a  hard 
time  I  had  getting  it." 

Without  making  any  comment,  Duvall  took  the 
package,  quickly  tore  off  the  coarse  paper  wrappings, 
and  saw  inside  a  small  round  ivory  box,  its  top 
ornamented  with  a  number  of  small  pearls,  arranged 

119 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

in  a  circular  design  about  its  circumference.  He 
glanced  swiftly  at  it,  crushed  the  paper  into  his 
pocket,  then  started  toward  the  door  at  the  rear. 

"  Where  are  you  going?  "  demanded  Seltz,  harshly, 
his  hand  going  toward  his  pocket,  as  though  for  a 
weapon. 

"  To  call  the  doctor,  my  man,"  Duvall  replied. 
"  Don't  excite  yourself.  He  will  be  here  in  a  moment, 
with  your  money."  Without  a  moment's  hesitation 
he  crossed  to  the  study  door  and  tapped  lightly  upon 
it.  As  he  did  so,  his  back  was  toward  Seltz,  hence 
the  latter  did  not  see  the  swift  movement,  by  which 
he  conveyed  the  snuff  box  to  the  pocket  of  his  waist- 
coat. When,  after  a  few  moments'  delay,  Dr.  Hart- 
jnann  appeared  on  the  threshold,  Duvall's  hands  were 
both  quite  empty. 

As  the  doctor  entered  the  room,  the  detective  gave 
a  quick  nod  toward  Seltz.  "  My  man,"  he  remarked, 
in  a  low  tone.  "  He  seems  to  be  rather  bad,  this 
morning ;  "  then  aloud,  "  Oscar,  this  is  Doctor  Hart- 
mann." 

Seltz  bowed,  then  stood  uncomfortably,  shifting  his 
weight  from  one  foot  to  the  other  as  the  doctor  bent 
upon  him  a  searching  glance.  "  Sit  down,  my  good 

120 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

fellow,"  the  latter  presently  remarked,  as  he  took  a 
chair. 

"I  —  I  don't  think  I  had  better,  sir,"  he  stammered. 
"  I  am  in  somewhat  of  a  hurry  — " 

The  doctor  interrupted  him,  in  a  soothing  voice. 
"  There,  there.  Sit  down.  I  want  to  talk  to  you." 

Seltz  glanced  helplessly  toward  Duvall,  apparently 
somewhat  confused  by  the  reception  which  Dr.  Hart- 
mann  had  accorded  him.  It  was  not  entirely  what 
he  had  expected. 

"  I  have  explained  everything  to  the  doctor,"  re- 
marked Duvall  hastily.  "  He  understands  about  the 
money  you  requested."  He  looked  significantly  at  Dr. 
Hartmann. 

"  Then  I  hope  the  matter  can  be  settled  at  once," 
said  Seltz,  apparently  much  relieved.  He  made  no 
movement  to  sit  down,  but  continued  to  look  ex- 
pectantly at  Dr.  Hartmann. 

The  latter  nodded  in  a  grave  and  reassuring  way. 
"  Give  yourself  no  uneasiness,  my  man.  Everything 
will  be  satisfactorily  arranged.  Meanwhile,  sit  down, 
if  you  please,  and  tell  me  something  about  yourself. 
I  understand  you  have  been  greatly  worried,  of  late. 
Not  quite  yourself  —  let  us  say." 

181 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Seltz  looked  at  him  in  blank  amazement.  "  I 
haven't  been  worried  by  anything,  except  the  busi- 
ness which  brought  me  here.  I  want  my  money  — " 

"  Exactly  —  exactly,"  the  doctor  assented,  in  a 
soothing  voice.  "  You  shall  have  your  money  in  due 
time.  I  promise  you  that.  But  first  sit  down  and 
let  us  have  a  little  chat." 

Seltz  sat  down,  helplessly.  Apparently  he  was  at 
a  loss  as  to  just  what  to  say  next.  The  doctor  had 
told  him  that  the  money  he  expected  would  be  forth- 
coming —  he  resigned  himself  in  patience  to  await  the 
latter's  pleasure.  For  a  moment  he  glanced  at  Du- 
vall,  however.  "  You  should  not  have  taken  it  from 
me,"  he  said,  peevishly. 

Duvall  looked  quickly  at  Dr.  Hartmann.  The  lat- 
ter at  once  spoke  up.  "  Give  the  matter  no  further 
thought,  my  man,"  he  said,  gravely.  "  I  will  see  that 
you  are  fairly  treated.  But  before  we  go  ahead,  I 
want  you  to  tell  me  more  about  yourself  —  your  life 
—  your  amusements  — " 

"  What  the  devil  have  my  amusements  got  to  do 
with  the  matter  ?  "  exclaimed  Seltz,  his  voice  trembling 
with  anger.  "  I  tell  you  I  want  my  money." 

"  And  I  tell  you  you  shall  have  it.  But,  now,  I 
insist  that  you  let  the  matter  drop  for  the  present  and 

128 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

answer  my  questions,  otherwise  I  can  do  nothing  to 
help  you." 

The  remark  quieted  Seltz  somewhat.  He  was,  after 
all,  in  a  peculiar  position.  The  snuff  box  was  gone. 
He  cursed  his  stupidity  in  having  let  it  pass  out  of 
his  possession  before  the  price  agreed  upon  for  its 
delivery  had  been  forthcoming.  That  Dr.  Hartmann 
did  not  question  the  payment  of  the  money,  however, 
was  reassuring.  He  determined  to  answer  as  well  as 
he  could  whatever  questions  the  doctor  might  see  fit 
to  ask  him. 

The  latter  continued  to  examine  his  supposed  pa- 
tient with  a  shrewdly  professional  air.  "  How  old 
are  you,  my  man  ?  "  he  suddenly  inquired. 

"  Thirty-six." 

"Do  you  drink?" 

"  Yes  —  I  —  I  drink  occasionally." 

"  Use  any  drugs  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Appetite  good?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Sleep  well?  " 

"  Yes  —  pretty  well." 

"  Have  you  had  any  shock,  recently.  Has  any- 
thing happened  to  make  you  nervous,  or  excitable?  " 

123 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Seltz  glanced  nervously  from  Duvall  to  the  doctor 
and  back  again.  What,  he  wondered,  was  the  pur- 
pose of  this  examination?  Was  Dr.  Hartmann  try- 
ing to  lead  him  into  damaging  admissions  concerning 
the  method  he  had  employed  to  secure  the  snuff  box? 
He  scowled,  then  suddenly  spoke.  "  It's  none  of  your 
affair,  is  it?  if  I  have." 

"  Oscar ! "  said  Duvall,  in  a  tone  of  remonstrance. 
"  Don't  speak  to  the  doctor  in  that  way." 

"Oscar!"  The  man  turned  on  the  detective  an- 
grily. "  Look  here  —  you  took  that  —  that  — "  he 
hesitated,  fearful  that  some  trap  had  been  set  for 
him  — "  that  article  away  from  me  —  now  see  that  I 
get  my  money." 

The  doctor  glanced  at  Duvall.  "  He  seems  to  be 
possessed  with  the  one  idea,"  he  remarked,  sotta  voce, 
then  turned  to  Seltz  again.  "  My  good  man,  I  have 
already  assured  you  that  Mr.  Brooks  and  myself  will 
see  that  you  get  your  money.  What  more  do  you 
want?  " 

"  I  want  the  money,"  Seltz  cried,  losing  his  patience, 
"  and  I  want  it  quick."  He  sprang  from  his  chair, 
and  his  hand  shot  toward  his  pocket,  whence  it  re- 
appeared in  a  moment  with  a  revolver.  "  No  more 
of  this  nonsense,  now.  I  want  the  cash." 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

The  doctor,  who  had  also  sprung  to  his  feet,  started 
toward  the  angry  barber  with  outstretched  hands. 
Seltz  whirled  on  him,  the  revolver  pointed  directly  at 
Hartmann's  head.  "  Keep  off,"  he  cried.  In  his  ex- 
citement he  had  forgotten  Duvall,  who  at  once  seized 
him  from  behind.  "  Look  out,  Doctor,"  he  cried,  as 
he  threw  his  arm  about  the  fellow's  neck  and  slowly 
throttled  him.  "  He's  gone  quite  insane  —  dangerous 
—  take  away  the  revolver." 

As  he  spoke,  he  tightened  his  arm  about  Seltz's 
throat  until  the  latter  gasped  for  breath.  The  re- 
volver fell  from  his  nerveless  grasp  —  he  clutched  at 
the  detective's  arm  and  tried  to  tear  it  from  his  throat, 
all  the  while  groaning  and  sputtering  at  a  great  rate. 

"  Hopelessly  insane,  I  fear,"  said  the  doctor,  as 
he  picked  up  the  fallen  revolver.  "  You  had  best 
take  him  away  at  once." 

"  But,  Doctor,  I  can't  do  anything  with  him  in  this 
violent  state.  Can't  you  give  him  something  to  quiet 
him?" 

"  Nothing  but  a  hypodermic.  He  wouldn't  swallow 
a  drug,  I  fear." 

'  Then  give  him  a  hypodermic  at  once.  I've  got  to 
get  him  away  from  here,  somehow."  He  tightened 
his  hold  on  Seltz's  throat  as  the  latter  struggled  furi- 

125 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

ously,  trying  his  best  to  get  away.  Luckily  for  Du- 
vall,  his  adversary  was  a  man  of  only  moderate 
strength,  but  he  struggled  like  the  madman  the  doc- 
tor supposed  him  to  be,  trying  in  vain  to  speak.  The 
detective's  arm,  however,  tightly  wound  about  his 
throat,  effectually  prevented  his  cries  from  becoming 
intelligible. 

"  I'm  so  sorry,  Doctor,"  Duvall  went  on,  as  Hart- 
mann  prepared  his  hypodermic  needle  and  approach- 
ing the  struggling  man,  took  hold  of  one  of  his  arms 
and  bared  it  with  a  quick  motion.  "  I  wouldn't  have 
subjected  you  to  all  this  annoyance  for  anything. 
The  poor  fellow  has  been  getting  worse  for  days,  but 
I  had  no  idea,  when  he  left  me  this  morning,  that  he 
would  be  like  this." 

"  It  frequently  happens,"  the  doctor  remarked,  as 
he  pressed  the  syringe  into  the  man's  forearm  and 
then  withdrew  it  quickly.  "  There  —  he'll  soon  be  all 
right  now.  Just  hold  him  there  for  a  few  moments 
longer,  Mr.  Brooks  and  he'll  be  sleeping  like  a  child." 

Even  as  he  spoke,  the  struggles  of  the  man  in  Du- 
vall's  arms  became  less  violent  —  his  efforts  to  cry  out 
less  vigorous.  "  It's  a  sad  case,"  the  detective  de- 
marked.  "  I  am  very  much  afraid  that  he  must  be 
sent  to  an  asylum." 

126 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  Undoubtedly  the  best  place  for  him,  my  dear  sir," 
remarked  Hartmann,  dryly.  "  I  see  your  cab  is  wait- 
ing, outside.  As  soon  as  the  man  is  quiet,  I  will  have 
one  of  my  attendants  help  you  to  carry  him  to  it." 
He  went  over  to  Seltz,  who  was  now  struggling  faintly, 
and  felt  his  pulse.  "  He  is  quite  harmless  now,"  he 
observed,  looking  keenly  into  the  man's  face.  "  I  will 
call  one  of  my  men."  He  went  to  the  wall  and  pressed 
an  electric  button. 

Duvall  allowed  the  limp  body  of  the  barber  to  slip 
softly  into  a  chair.  "  Poor  Oscar !  "  he  said,  mus- 
ingly, looking  down  at  the  huddled-up  figure.  "  What 
a  pity !  Such  a  faithful  fellow,  too !  "  He  turned  to 
Hartmann.  "  I  feel  almost  as  though  I  had  lost  an 
old  friend." 

The  doctor  smiled.  "  Rather  a  dangerous  one,  I 
should  say,"  he  remarked,  as  he  glanced  at  the  re- 
volver on  the  table.  "  You  will  want  this,  I  sup- 
pose." 

Duvall  took  the  revolver  and  thrust  it  into  his 
pocket.  "  Might  as  well  take  it  along,  I  suppose, 
doctor.  Now  about  my  bill  —  do  I  owe  you  anything 
in  addition  to  the  fee  I  paid  you  on  my  arrival  ?  "  He 
felt  for  his  pocketbook. 

"  Nothing,  my  dear  sir."  The  doctor  smiled.  "  I 
127. 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

feel  that  in  accepting  your  fee  I  am  robbing  you." 
He  drew  the  note  from  his  pocket,  but  Duvall  waved 
it  aside. 

"  I  insist,  my  dear  sir.  You  have  given  me  your 
valuable  time,  at  least,  even  if  you  could  do  this  poor 
fellow  no  good."  He  paused,  as  an  attendant  in  a 
gray  uniform  entered  the  room. 

"  Max,"  said  the  doctor,  addressing  the  man, 
"  help  this  gentleman  put  his  friend  into  the  cab." 

The  man  came  forward,  and  he  and  Duvall  picked 
up  the  limp  figure  of  Seltz,  who  was  now  sleeping 
soundly.  In  a  few  moments  they  had  transferred 
him  to  the  cab  outside. 

As  they  left  the  house,  Duvall  saw  Grace  standing 
near  the  door,  her  face  pale,  her  eyes  seeking  his.  He 
avoided  her  glances,  making  no  sign  that  he  recog- 
nized her.  The  doctor,  somewhat  annoyed,  requested 
her,  with  elaborate  but  firm  politeness,  to  withdraw. 
She  did  so,  without  looking  back,  but  her  heart  was 
beating  until  it  shook  her  whole  body,  and  she  longed 
to  run  to  her  husband  and  drive  off  with  him,  in  spite 
of  the  doctor's  presence.  Somehow  she  felt  that  the 
necessity  which  had  kept  her  a  prisoner  in  this  house 
no  longer  existed  —  that  Richard  had  succeeded  in 

128 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

recovering  the  ivory  snuff  box,  and  would  soon  send 
her  word  to  join  him,  so  that  they  might  return  to 
Paris  together.  She  went  to  her  room,  ordered  some 
luncheon  brought  to  her,  and  sat  down  to  await  his 
message. 

Meanwhile,  Duvall,  with  Seltz  beside  him,  drove 
rapidly  away  from  the  house,  his  arm  about  the  man's 
unconscious  figure.  At  the  gate  of  the  park  he  saw 
another  cab  waiting,  and  in  a  moment  perceived 
that  it  contained  Dufrenne,  who  in  accordance  with 
his  instructions  had  been  following  Seltz.  Duvall 
nodded  to  him,  then  pointed  silently  down  the  street. 
Dufrenne  at  once  ordered  his  driver  to  follow.  In  a 
short  time  they  had  reached  the  Hotel  Metropole,  and 
Seltz,  with  the  assistance  of  two  of  the  porters,  had 
been  carried  upstairs  and  placed  on  the  bed.  Duvall 
explained  to  the  manager  of  the  hotel  that  the  man 
was  a  friend  of  his,  who  had  been  taken  ill,  and  needed 
to  sleep  for  a  few  hours.  He  also  engaged  the  ad- 
joining room  at  once,  and  thither  he  and  Dufrenne 
presently  repaired  to  examine  the  snuff  box  which,  un- 
til now,  had  been  reposing  safely  in  the  detective's 
waistcoat  pocket. 

He  drew  it  out,  when  they  were  alone,  and  silently 
129 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

handed  it  to  Dufrenne.  The  little  old  Frenchman 
took  one  look  at  it,  then  threw  up  his  hands  with  a 
cry  of  joy.  "  It  is  the  Ambassador's  snuff  box. 
"  Heavens  be  praised !  "  he  cried,  as  the  tears  coursed 
down  his  withered  cheeks. 


130 


CHAPTER  XII 

RICHARD  DUVALL  looked  at  the  tense  figure, 
the  agitated  face  of  his  companion,  and  once 
again  a  feeling  of  surprise  swept  over  him,  as  he  ob- 
served the  little  Frenchman's  joy  at  the  recovery  of 
Monsieur  de  Grissac's  snuff  box. 

Throughout  the  exciting  events  of  the  morning,  and 
of  the  night  before,  the  detective  had  lost  sight  of  the 
apparent  insignificance  of  the  object  of  their  search; 
no^  that  he  for  the  first  time  saw  it  before  him,  his 
curiosity  was  once  more  aroused.  Surely  there  must 
be  something  of  vast  interest  about  this  apparently 
worthless  bit  of  ivory,  to  make  its  theft  the  reason 
for  a  brutal  murder,  its  recovery  a  matter  of  such 
extreme  importance  that  Monsieur  Lef  evre  should  con- 
sider the  honor  of  his  country  at  stake. 

He  took  the  box  from  Dufrenne's  trembling  fingers 
and  examined  it  carefully.  It  was  about  two  and  a 
half  inches  in  circumference,  and  quite  shallow,  not 
over  half  an  inch  in  depth,  in  all.  The  ivory  was 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

old  and  yellow  from  use  and  time,  and  very  thin  and 
smooth.  The  lightness  of  the  box  surprised  him  — 
it  seemed  to  weigh  almost  nothing,  as  he  balanced  it 
on  the  palm  of  his  hand. 

The  circular  top  of  the  box  was  curiously  orna- 
mented with  a  circle  of  small  colorless  pearls,  of  tri- 
fling value,  set  at  regular  intervals  about  the  edge  of 
the  cover.  Within  this  row  of  pearls  was  an  inscrip- 
tion in  Latin,  carved  in  tiny  letters  in  the  ivory. 
From  its  first  words,  "  Pater  nosier"  Duvall  saw  that 
it  was  the  Lord's  Prayer.  The  letters  extended 
around  the  circumference  of  the  box  in  several  con- 
centric lines,  or  rings,  inside  of  the  ring  of  pearls. 
In  the  center  of  the  box  was  a  cross  of  ivory,  carved 
so  as  to  be  slightly  raised  above  its  general  surface. 
Beyond  this,  the  box  contained  no  other  ornamenta- 
tion. 

Along  the  front  edge  of  the  box  Duvall  noticed 
a  small  spring.  He  pressed  it,  in  considerable  ex- 
citement. Evidently  the  reason  for  the  box's  value 
must  be  within  —  some  papers,  no  doubt,  of  extreme 
importance.  He  saw  the  cover  of  the  box  fly  upward 
and  glanced  hastily  inside.  The  box  contained  noth- 
ing but  a  few  pinches  of  snuff. 

Duvall  was  almost  tempted  to  laugh.  The  whole 
132 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

thing  seemed  so  ridiculous  —  so  utterly  absurd. 
Absent-mindedly  he  tried  a  pinch  of  the  snuff,  in- 
haling it  into  his  nostrils.  It  produced  noth  :g  more 
startling  than  a  violent  fit  of  sneezing.  Undoubtedly 
Monsieur  de  Grissac  had  told  the  truth.  He  did  use 
snuff. 

Closing  the  box,  Duvall  regarded  it  for  a  moment 
in  silence,  then  looked  at  Dufrenne.  "  It  isn't  worth 
a  hundred  francs,"  he  said. 

"  The  box?  "  answered  the  curio  dealer,  as  he  fol- 
lowed Duvall's  glances.  "  No,  monsieur  —  what  you 
say  is  indeed  true,  yet  I  would  not  sell  it  for  a  hundred 
million." 

"  But  why  ?  What  is  there  about  it  that  makes  it 
so  valuable?  Surely  you  can  tell  me  that,  now  that 
we  have  safely  recovered  it." 

"  Alas,  monsieur.  I  could  not  tell  you,  even  if  I 
knew,  which  I  assure  you  I  do  not.  I  can  only  say 
that  Monsieur  Lefevre  has  told  me  that  it  holds  within 
it  the  honor  of  my  beloved  country,  and  therefore  I 
would  not  sell  it  for  all  the  money  in  the  world." 

Duvall  was  clearly  puzzled.  "  Well,"  he  said  at 
length,  as  he  thrust  the  box  into  his  pocket,  "  there's 
evidently  some  mystery  about  the  thing  that  I  do  not 
understand,  but  I  suppose  I  shall,  some  day.  Just  at 

133 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

present  our  first  duty  is  to  return  the  box  to  Mon- 
sieur de  Grissac." 

"  You  are  right,  monsieur,  and  at  once.  There  is 
a  train  for  Antwerp  in  half  an  hour.  From  there  we 
can  take  the  night  boat  to  Harwich.  Let  us  set  out 
without  further  delay." 

"  And  that  fellow  in  there  ?  "  remarked  the  detective 
with  a  grim  laugh.  "  We've  got  to  take  him  with 
us,  you  know.  He'll  be  wanted  in  London  for  the 
murder  of  the  man  Noel." 

"  Yes.  That  also  is  important."  Dufrenne  went 
into  the  adjoining  room  and  stood  looking  at  the  sleep- 
ing barber.  "  But  not  so  important  as  the  return  of 
the  snuff  box  to  Monsieur  de  Grissac." 

Duvall  followed  him,  and  lifting  one  of  Seltz's  arms, 
let  it  drop  suddenly.  It  fell  to  his  side,  lifeless. 
"  He's  sleeping  like  a  log.  The  doctor  must  have 
given  him  a  pretty  stiff  dose.  I  don't  see  how  we  are 
going  to  travel  with  him  in  this  condition." 

"  Then  we  must  leave  him  in  the  care  of  Monsieur 
Lefevre's  other  agents  here  in  Brussels.  We  cannot 
delay  an  instant,  on  any  account." 

"  I  do  not  agree  with  you,  monsieur.  There  is  one 
thing  which  is  as  important  to  me  as  the  recovery  of 

134 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

the  snuff  box  could  possibly  be  to  Monsieur  de  Gris- 
sac,  and  that  is,  the  safety  of  my  wife." 

"  Your  wife  ?  "  Duf renne  stared  at  him  in  sur- 
prise. 

"  Yes,  monsieur,  my  wife.  She  is  at  present  in 
Dr.  Hartmann's  house.  How  she  came  there,  I  do 
not  know,  but  I  imagine  that  our  friend  the  Prefect 
sent  her  there,  to  assist,  if  occasion  offered,  in  our 
work.  In  that  he  was  wise;  but  for  her  presence,  I 
fear  my  plan  would  have  failed.  Had  Seltz  rung 
the  doorbell,  and  been  admitted  by  any  of  the  doc- 
tor's servants,  I  doubt  if  I  should  have  been  able  to 
get  the  box  from  him  before  the  latter  had  seen 
him.  I  should  then  have  been  obliged  to  use  force, 
and  the  results  might  have  been  disastrous." 

"  Yes,  monsieur.  I  see  that.  The  young  lady  at 
Dr.  Hartmann's  was  sent  by  Monsieur  Lefevre.  His 
agents  here  have  already  informed  me  of  that.  But 
that  she  is  your  wife  I  did  not  know."  He  pondered 
for  a  moment,  glancing  at  his  watch.  "  It  is  a  great 
pity.  Delay  may  be  most  dangerous.  Why  do  you 
not  send  her  word  to  join  you  in  Paris?  " 

Duvall  frowned,  and  began  to  walk  about  the  room 
nervously.  "  A  few  hours'  delay  can  make  no  dif- 

135 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

ference,"  he  presently  said.  "  The  box  is  perfectly 
safe  in  our  hands.  I  am  not,  however,  at  all  con- 
vinced that  my  wife  is  perfectly  safe  in  the  hands  of 
Dr.  Hartmann." 

"But  he  knows  nothing?" 

"  That  I  cannot  say.  So  far  he  does  not,  I  think, 
suspect  that  Seltz  was  the  man  he  expected  from 
London.  If  he  had,  he  would  never  have  let  me  leave 
his  office.  Luckily  for  us,  Seltz  was  a  stranger  to 
him,  and  with  the  murder  of  Noel  on  his  conscience, 
he  feared  to  say  anything  to  the  doctor  about  the 
snuff  box  while  I  was  present.  I  imagine  he  suspected 
a  trap  of  some  sort.  But  the  doctor  will  discover, 
probably  before  the  day  is  out,  how  he  has  been 
tricked.  Then  he  will  begin  to  investigate,  and  if  he 
finds  out  that  it  was  my  wife  who  admitted  the  man, 
he  may  in  his  rage  decide  to  retaliate  upon  her.  I 
cannot  think  of  leaving  Brussels,  without  her.  She 
must  go  with  me.  Upon  that  I  am  determined." 

Dufrenne  looked  grave,  and  a  glint  of  anger  came 
into  his  eyes.  "  The  service  of  France,  monsieur, 
is  more  important  than  your  private  affairs.  I  beg 
of  you  that  you  leave  here  at  once." 

"  But  why,  my  friend?  We  can  leave  just  as  well 
136 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

in  the  morning.  The  box  is  safe."  He  felt  his  waist- 
coat pocket. 

"  Safe,  monsieur !  Let  me  tell  you  that  neither  the 
box  nor  you  yourself  are  safe  for  a  moment,  as  long 
as  you  remain  in  Brussels.  You  would  be  in  no 
greater  danger,  if  you  were  carrying  about  with  you 
a  package  of  dynamite." 

"  You  are  unduly  nervous,  monsieur,"  laughed  Du- 
vall,  as  he  observed  the  Frenchman's  look  of  terror. 
"  I  have  every  confidence  in  my  ability  to  take  care 
of  myself.  I  must  notify  my  wife  to  join  me  here 
as  soon  as  possible." 

"  How  do  you  propose  to  do  so?  "  inquired  Du- 
frenne. 

For  a  moment  Duvall  was  puzzled.  "  You  could 
not  safely  call  her  up  by  telephone,"  the  Frenchman 
continued.  "  For  her  to  leave  the  sanatorium  now, 
in  response  to  such  a  call,  would  attract  the  doctor's 
suspicion  at  once.  He  is  probably  quite  well  aware 
of  the  fact  that  she  knows  no  one  in  Brussels.  If 
he  should  have  her  followed  here,  and  see  her  meet 
you,  he  would  at  once  conclude  that  there  was  some- 
thing wrong  about  the  whole  affair.  He  is  very  well 
known  here  in  Brussels,  and  very  powerful.  Undoubt- 

137 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

edly  he  would  have  you  both  arrested  on  some  pre- 
text. Once  you- are  searched,  and  the  snuff  box  taken 
from  you,  all  our  work  is  lost." 

His  earnest  face,  his  frightened  tones,  disturbed  the 
detective  greatly.  He  saw  the  force  of  Dufrenne's 
arguments,  yet  the  thought  of  leaving  Grace  to  bear 
the  brunt  of  Dr.  Hartmann's  anger  was  not  to  be 
considered  for  a  moment.  He  looked  out  of  the  win- 
dow in  silence  for  a  long  time,  trying  to  think  out 
some  plan  that  would  insure  Grace's  safety.  A  gentle 
tapping  at  the  door  caused  him  to  turn.  He  nodded 
to  Dufrenne,  who  at  once  went  to  the  door  and  opened 
it. 

The  newcomer  proved  to  be  Lablanche,  of  the  Pre- 
fect's office,  whom  Dufrenne  had  met  earlier  in  the 
day.  He  bowed  to  Duvall,  who  knew  him  slightly, 
then  glanced  at  the  sleeping  figure  on  the  bed.  "  You 
have  been  successful,  monsieur  ?  "  he  inquired  eagerly. 

Duvall  nodded.  "  This  fellow " —  he  indicated 
Seltz  — "  must  be  taken  to  London  as  soon  as  he  is 
in  condition  to  travel.  We  will  leave  the  matter  to 
you." 

"  Excellent,  monsieur.  He  shall  be  well  taken  care 
of.  I  presume  that  you  and  Monsieur  Dufrenne  will 
start  at  once." 

i!38 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  I  desire  first,  Monsieur  Lablanche,  to  get  my  wife 
from  the  house  of  Dr.  Hartmann." 

Lablanche  gave  a  low  whistle.  "  I  should  not  ad- 
vise you  to  attempt  to  communicate  with  her,  mon- 
sieur." 

"  You  think  her  sudden  departure  would  make 
Hartmann  suspicious?  " 

"  Undoubtedly." 

"  Then  we  must  arrange  for  her  to  come  to  Brus- 
sels this  afternoon  on  some  pretext.  If  she  only  had 
some  friends  in  the  city  — " 

"  The  American  Minister,  monsieur ! "  exclaimed 
Lablanche,  suddenly.  "  He  recommended  her  to  Dr. 
Hartmann.  It  appears  that  he  was  at  one  time  ac- 
quainted with  your  wife's  people.  Perhaps  he  would 
undertake  to  telephone  to  her.  That  would  be  en- 
tirely safe.  But  I  beg  of  you,  monsieur,  do  not  let 
the  Minister  know  what  your  wife's  object  in  going 
to  Dr.  Hartmann's  was.  He  knows  her  only  as  Miss 
Ellicott.  He  vouched  for  her  to  Hartmann.  If  he 
knew  that  he  had  been  used,  it  would  make  him  ex- 
tremely angry." 

For  a  few  moments  Duvall  stood  in  silent  thought, 
then  picking  up  his  hat,  went  toward  the  door.  "  I 
will  see  the  American  Minister  at  once,"  he  said,  as 

:139 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

he  went  out.  "  Wait  for  me  here,  gentlemen.  I  will 
be  back  within  an  hour." 

Mr.  Phelps,  the  United  States  Minister,  was  busy 
in  his  cabinet  when  Duvall  was  announced.  He  took 
the  card  from  his  secretary  and  glanced  at  it  care- 
lessly. The  detective's  name  caused  him  to  start. 
"  Richard  Duvall,"  he  said  aloud,  to  his  secretary. 
"  Surely  it  can't  be  the  well-known  detective,  yet 
the  name  — "  He  regarded  the  card,  his  forehead 
wrinkled  with  thought.  Duvall's  distinguished  posi- 
tion as  the  author  of  several  works  on  the  science 
of  criminology  was  well  known  to  him.  "  Show  him 
in,"  he  said,  at  length,  and  began  to  relight  his 
cigar. 

Duvall  was  ushered  in,  and  in  a  few  moments  had 
explained  the  object  of  his  visit.  "  A  young  lady  — 
a  Miss  Ellicott,"  he  told  the  Minister,  "  had  come  to 
Brussels  the  night  before,  and  had  gone  to  Dr.  Hart- 
mann's  as  a  patient."  Mr.  Phelps  nodded,  and  added 
that  he  had  met  Miss  Ellicott,  and  had  used  his  in- 
fluence to  enable  her  to  obtain  Dr.  Hartmann's  serv- 
ices. "  The  doctor  is  a  great  friend  of  mine,"  the 
Minister  remarked.  "  I  regard  him  as  one  of  the 
leading  scentists  of  Europe." 

"  Undoubtedly,"  the  detective  assented  gravely. 
140 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  I  am  not  acquainted  with  him,  myself.  My  business 
is  with  Miss  Ellicott." 

"  Then  why  have  you  come  here  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Phelps,  with  some  asperity.  "  The  doctor's  house  is 
but  a  few  moments'  drive." 

"  I  know  that.  But  unfortunately  I  am  not  ac- 
quainted with  Miss  Ellicott.  She  might  resent  my 
calling  on  her  so  unceremoniously.  I  had  hoped  that 
you  might  ask  her  to  come  here,  so  that  I  might  be 
properly  introduced  to  her." 

The  Minister  considered  the  matter  carefully. 
Evidently  he  did  not  altogether  like  it.  "  You  for- 
get, Mr.  Duvall,"  he  said,  finally,  "  that  I  myself  do 
not  know  you.  Furthermore  I  certainly  have  no  desire 
to  involve  Miss  Ellicott  in  any  difficulties.  I  trust," 
he  concluded,  uneasily,  "  that  she  is  not  already  so  in- 
volved." 

"  No."  The  detective  shook  his  head.  "  Not  yet. 
But  unless  I  can  have  a  few  words  with  her  in  private, 
she  soon  may  be.  I  am  working  in  her  interests.  I 
am  here  to  protect  her  from  a  grave  danger."  He 
went  toward  the  Minister,  and,  taking  a  package  of 
papers  from  his  pocket,  placed  them  in  the  latter's 
hand.  "  Here  are  my  credentials.  From  them  you 
will  see  that  I  am  what  I  represent  myself  to  be.  I 

141 


THE  IVORY;  SNUFF  BOX 

cannot  undertake  to  explain  to  you  now  the  reasons 
which  prevent  me  from  going  to  Miss  Ellicott  where 
she  is.  The  mere  fact  that  I  am  unknown  to  her 
will,  I  trust,  prove  sufficient.  I  wish  to  say  to  her 
but  a  few  words.  She  will  be  very  glad  to  heap  them, 
I  know.'* 

The  Minister  returned  the  papers  to  Duvall  and 
glanced  at  the  clock  upon  his  desk.  We  are  having 
a  few  friends  for  dinner  to-night,  Mr.  Duvall.  I  shall 
ask  Miss  Ellicott  to  join  us.  If  you  care  to  be  one 
of  the  party  — "  He  paused,  looking  at  the  other 
questioningly. 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  indeed  to  accept,  Mr.  Phelps. 
I  assure  you  that  I  would  under  no  circumstances 
force  myself  upon  you  in  this  way,  were  it  not  for 
Miss  Ellicott's  good.  And,  in  order  that  your  other 
guests  may  not  by  any  chance  identify  me,  may  I 
ask  that  you  will  introduce  me  as  Mr.  Brooks?  " 

The  Minister  nodded.  "  Very  well,  if  you  wish  it, 
Mr.  Duvall.  The  whole  affair  strikes  me  as  extremely 
unusual,  and  did  I  not  know  you  to  be  a  man  of  your 
word,  I  should  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  Under 
the  circumstances,  I  will  consent.  At  least,  I  feel 
sure  that  no  harm  can  come  to  Miss  Ellicott  while  she 
is  under  my  roof." 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

The  detective  murmured  his  thanks.  "  You  will  be 
doing  Miss  Ellicott  a  great  service,  my  dear  sir,"  he 
said.  "  And  one  thing  more.  When  you  telephone 
to  her,  asking  her  to  come,  kindly  do  not  mention  the 
fact  that  I  have  called."  He  took  the  Minister's  hand 
and  pressed  it  warmly.  "  Some  day  you  will  realize 
the  dangers  with  which  Miss  Ellicott  is  being  threat- 
ened." 

On  his  return  to  the  Hotel  Metropole,  Duvall  found 
everything  as  he  had  left  it.  Seltz  was  still  sleeping 
soundly.  Lablanche  was  reading  a  newspaper.  Ihi- 
frenne  was  superintending  the  placing  of  Duvall's 
portmanteau,  which  had  arrived  from  Paris  in  re- 
sponse to  a  hasty  wire  from  him  that  morning.  He 
had  been  without  a  change  of  linen  since  the  day  be- 
fore, and  the  arrival  of  his  baggage  was  gratifying. 

He  informed  Lablanche  of  his  plans.  "  I  shall  dine 
at  the  United  States  Minister's,"  he  informed  them, 
"  as  Mr.  Brooks.  After  dinner  I  shall  ask  Miss  Elli- 
cott's  permission  to  escort  her  home.  We  will  take 
a  cab  and  drive  to  the  railway  station  in  time  for  the 
midnight  train  for  Paris.  On  my  arrival  there,  I  shall 
give  the  snuff  box  to  Monsieur  Lefevre,  who  will  see 
that  it  is  safely  returned  to  the  Ambassador  in  Lon- 
don. You,  Lablanche,  can  go  to  London  with  Seltz 

143 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

as  soon  as  the  latter  is  sufficiently  recovered  to  travel 
—  in  the  morning,  let  us  say.  You,  Dufrenne,  will 
no  doubt  prefer  to  return  with  me  to  Paris.  In  that 
event,  kindly  settle  with  the  hotel  people  for  these 
rooms,  and  join  me  at  the  railway  station."  He 
paused,  opened  his  traveling  case,  and  drew  out  a 
suit  of  evening  clothes. 

Lablanche  and  Dufrenne  withdrew  into  the  adjoin- 
ing room,  where  Seltz  lay  sleeping.  The  latter  paused 
in  the  door  as  he  went  out.  "  Take  care  of  the  snuff 
box,"  he  said,  pointedly.  "Remember  —  the  honor 
of  France." 


144. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

GRACE  DUVALL  went  to  her  room,  at  Dr. 
Hartmann's,  after  her  husband's  departure,  her 
feelings  divided  between  her  joy  at  his  success  —  for 
she  felt  that  his  departure  with  Seltz  meant  success 
—  and  her  sorrow  at  seeing  him  leave  her,  without  so 
much  as  a  single  glance.  She  felt  certain  that  she 
would  hear  from  him  during  the  course  of  the  after- 
noon, and  after  eating  her  luncheon,  sat  down  to  read 
a  book. 

The  afternoon  seemed  interminable.  When  at  last 
she  could  bear  the  inaction  no  longer,  she  rose,  put 
on  her  hat,  and  started  down  the  stairs.  As  she 
reached  the  hall,  one  of  the  attendants  came  up  to 
her.  "  Someone  wishes  to  speak  to  you  at  the  tele- 
phone, Miss  Ellicott,"  the  woman  said. 

Grace  hurried  to  the  'phone,  which  was  placed  in  a 
small  recess  half-way  down  the  hall.  The  woman  ac- 
companied her,  and  stood  near  by  as  she  took  up  the 
receiver.  Clearly  she  was  listening.  Grace  deter- 

145 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

mined  to  speak  with  caution.  It  was  undoubtedly 
Richard  calling. 

When  she  at  last  made  out  that  it  was  the  American 
Minister,  Mr.  Phelps,  who  was  speaking,  she  felt  a 
keen  sense  of  disappointment.  She  learned  that  he 
and  his  wife  wished  her  to  come  in  and  dine  with  them. 
At  first  she  refused,  fearful  least  by  going  into  Brus- 
sels she  might  miss  some  word  from  Richard.  Mr. 
Phelps  was  insistent.  They  counted  on  her.  He 
would  not  take  a  denial.  The  thought  occurred  to 
her,  momentarily,  that  possibly  Richard  had  taken 
this  means  of  communicating  with  her.  The  idea 
seemed  far  fetched,  and  yet  —  she  heard  Mr.  Phelps' 
voice,  urging  her  to  come,  and  rather  half-heartedly 
she  agreed  to  do  so.  "  The  United  States  Minister, 
Mr.  Phelps,  and  his  wife,  have  asked  me  to  dine  with 
them  to-night,"  she  said  to  the  attendant.  "  Will 
you  be  so  good  as  to  have  a  cab  here  for  me  at  half- 
past  seven?  " 

The  woman  bowed.  "  Certainly,  mademoiselle," 
she  said,  and  moved  aside  as  Dr.  Hartmann  came  along 
the  hall. 

Grace  thought  that  he  looked  both  puzzled  and  an- 
gry. He  assumed  a  pleasant  expression  as  he  saw 
her,  however,  and  when  he  spoke  she  knew  he  had 

146 


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overheard  what  she  had  just  said.  "  Dining  at  the 
Minister's  to-night?  "  he  remarked,  as  he  paused  for 
a  moment.  "  A  charming  man,  Mr.  Phelps.  I  may 
look  in  later,  myself,  and  bring  you  home."  He 
passed  on,  his  face  at  once  resuming  the  angry  scowl 
which  Grace  had  marked  as  he  approached  her. 

She  returned  to  her  room,  and  began  her  toilette 
for  the  evening.  The  small  trunk  she  had  brought 
from  Paris  contained  but  a  limited  wardrobe  —  she 
had  not  expected  anything  in  the  way  of  social  en- 
gagements, in  this  work  that  Monsieur  Lefevre  had 
assigned  to  her.  A  gown  of  black  satin,  however, 
trimmed  with  silver,  she  had  put  in  at  the  last  mo- 
ment. It  was  very  becoming  —  Richard  had  never 
seen  her  in  it  —  she  hoped  he  might  come  to  her, 
before  the  evening  was  over.  She  half -made  up  her 
mind  to  speak  to  Mr.  Phelps  about  it  —  to  ask  him 
to  telephone  to  the  hotels  and  attempt  to  locate  Rich- 
ard for  her.  Then  the  thought  came  to  her  that  she 
had  represented  herself  to  the  Minister  as  Miss  Elli- 
cott.  Clearly  it  would  never  do  to  let  Mr.  Phelps 
know  that  she  had  deceived  him. 

She  arrived  at  the  house  early,  and  after  being 
introduced  to  Mrs.  Phelps,  went  to  the  latter's  room 
to  remove  her  wraps,  and  to  talk  over  their  mutual 

147. 


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acquaintances.  None  of  the  other  guests  had  as  yet 
arrived.  Grace  talked  to  Mrs.  Phelps  as  brightly  as 
she  could,  but  her  mind  was  intent  upon  Richard, 
and  she  wondered  when  and  how  she  would  hear  from 
him. 

Duvall,  meanwhile,  had  been  engaged  in  changing 
his  clothes.  When  he  at  last  put  on  the  white  waist- 
coat of  his  evening  suit,  he  took  up  the  one  he  had 
worn  during  the  day  and  removed  from  it  the  ivory 
snuff  box  which  had  been  the  cause  of  his  interrupted 
honeymoon.  He  glanced  at  the  tiling  carelessly,  be- 
fore placing  it  in  his  waistcoat  pocket,  and  as  he 
did  so,  he  fancied  he  detected  a  slight  noise  in  the 
corridor  without.  In  a  moment  he  had  thrown  open 
the  door  which  lead  to  the  hall.  A  man  —  evidently 
one  of  the  hotel  servants  —  was  just  rising  from  his 
knees,  a  small  brush  in  one  hand,  a  dust  pan  in  the 
other. 

Duvall  looked  at  him  sharply.  The  man  bowed, 
smiling  in  a  stupid  way,  then  began  to  withdraw,  ex- 
plaining that  he  was  cleaning  the  hall,  and  hoping 
that  he  had  not  disturbed  "  monsieur."  The  de- 
tective closed  the  door,  uncertain  whether  the  man  had 
been  watching  him  or  not.  He  remembered  Du- 
frenue's  warning,  and  realized  that  in  going  out, 


alone,  this  night,  he  ran  some  chances  of  having  the 
snuff  box  taken  from  him.  Of  course,  it  was  un- 
likely that  Dr.  Hartmann  had  any  suspicions  of  him 
—  yet  it  seemed  advisable  to  put  the  box  in  as  safe 
a  place  as  possible,  at  least  until  he  was  once  more 
across  the  French  frontier.  Yet  where  could  he  put 
it?  To  secrete  the  thing  in  his  room  was  out  of  the 
question.  The  place  might  be  searched,  for  all  he 
knew,  within  half  an  hour  of  his  leaving  it.  To  con- 
ceal it  successfully  about  his  person  seemed  equally 
impossible.  Where,  indeed,  could  he  hope  to  hide  an 
object  of  this  size,  so  as  to  defy  a  search,  in  case 
one  should  be  made  ?  His  eyes  suddenly  fell  upon  the 
opera  hat  which  he  had  taken  from  his  portmanteau. 
He  took  it  up  and  gazed  at  it  with  a  smile,  then 
quickly  whipped  out  his  knife  and  began,  with  great 
care,  to  detach  the  inner  lining  of  the  crown  for  a 
distance  of  perhaps  three  or  four  inches.  Carefully 
drawing  back  the  lining,  he  slipped  the  thin  ivory 
box  beneath  it,  and  pushed  it  back  into  place.  The 
lining  was  of  heavy  black  silk,  stiffened  by  the  label 
of  the  maker  which  was  glued  to  it.  The  space  be- 
tween it  and  the  crown  was  considerable.  When  Du- 
vall  had  once  more  fastened  the  silk  in  place  with  the 
aid  of  a  needle  and  thread  which  he  drew  from  his 

149 


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dressing  case,  it  would  Have  required  a  very  careful 
inspection,  indeed,  to  have  discovered  that  there  was 
anything  unusual  about  the  hat.  Even  the  added 
weight  of  the  box  was  not  perceptible  —  its  lightness 
prevented  that.  When  he  had  completed  his  task, 
the  detective  suddenly  threw  open  the  door  and 
glanced  into  the  hall.  It  was  vacant.  Evidently  he 
had  not  been  observed. 

There  were  but  four  guests  at  the  Minister's  that 
night,  of  whom  Duvall  and  Grace  were  two.  The 
other  two  were  a  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haddon,  friends  of 
Mrs.  Phelps,  who  were  making  a  short  stay  in  the 
Belgian  capital  on  their  way  to  their  home  in  Lon- 
don. 

The  little  party,  with  the  exception  of  Duvall,  had 
already  assembled  in  the  drawing-room,  awaiting  his 
arrival.  Grace  found  the  Haddons  charming  and  cul- 
tivated people  who  had  traveled  all  over  the  world, 
owing  to  Mr.  Haddon's  connection  with  the  English 
Consular  service.  Mr.  Phelps  had  told  Grace  that 
they  were  expecting  an  American,  a  friend  of  his, 
whose  name  was  Brooks,  but  she  did  not  exhibit  much 
interest  in  the  matter.  She  was  becoming  more  and 
more  worried  about  Richard,  and  wondered  if  he 
could,  by  any  possibility,  have  left  Brussels  without 

150 


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communicating  with  her.  The  thought  seemed  un- 
believable. 

Dinner  was  set  for  eight.  As  the  hour  was  strik- 
ing, the  butler  announced  Mr.  Brooks.  Grace  glanced 
up  carelessly  as  the  latter  entered,  then  her  face  went 
white,  and  she  started  forward  with  a  glad  cry.  Mr. 
Phelps,  who  was  mumbling  an  introduction,  did  not, 
luckily,  observe  her  agitation.  Duvall  looked  at  her 
coolly.  "  Good-evening,  Miss  Ellicott,"  he  said, 
bowing.  "  I  am  delighted  to  meet  you." 

The  shock  of  the  thing  almost  unnerved  her. 
"  Mr.  Brooks,"  she  managed  to  gasp,  her  face  crim- 
son. In  a  moment  she  became  calmer,  as  she  observed 
her  husband's  warning  look,  and  began  to  chat  with 
him  nervously,  as  though  he  were  the  chance  ac- 
quaintance he  pretended  to  be.  In  a  moment  they  all 
were  seated  about  the  dinner-table.  He  had  been 
able  to  say  to  her  as  they  left  the  drawing-room, 
however,  unheard  by  the  others,  "  I  will  ask  per- 
mission to  escort  you  home."  She  nodded,  with  a 
twinkle  in  her  eyes.  All  her  nervousness  and  anxiety 
had  left  her  now,  and  in  their  place  came  a  delicious 
feeling  of  happiness  at  Richard's  presence,  and  a 
keen  sense  of  adventure  that  made  the  blood  tingle 
through  her  whole  body.  "  Mr.  Brooks ! "  She 

151' 


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laughed  inwardly  at  the  thought  that  no  one  at  the 
table  but  themselves  knew  that  they  were  husband  and 
wife.  She  proceeded  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the 
occasion  with  huge  delight,  questioning  Mr.  Brooks 
about  his  business  in  Brussels  with  a  keen  sense  of 
mischief. 

It  was  along  toward  the  middle  of  dinner  that  one 
of  the  servants  came  in  and  handed  Mr.  Phelps  a  card. 
Duvall,  engaged  for  the  moment  in  conversation  with 
Mrs.  Haddon,  did  not  perceive  it,  but  Grace,  who 
sat  next  to  their  host,  experienced  a  sudden  feeling 
of  alarm.  She  observed  the  Minister's  puzzled  face, 
as  he  excused  himself  and  left  the  table,  and  for  an 
instant  she  thought  of  warning  Richard.  A  moment's 
thought,  however,  convinced  her  of  the  uselessness  of 
the  attempt,  nor  did  she  indeed  know  what  she  could 
say  to  him.  She  remembered  Dr.  Hartmann's  re- 
mark, that  he  might  look  in  at  the  Minister's  after 
dinner,  to  which  she  had  attached  no  importance  at  the 
time.  Now  the  thought  came  to  her  that  the  doctor 
was  in  the  reception-room  without,  and  that  his  com- 
ing, at  this  time,  in  the  middle  of  dinner,  meant  that 
some,  disaster  was  impending. 

In  a  few  moments  Mr.  Phelps  reentered  the  room, 
followed  by  Dr.  Hartmann.  The  latter  was  in  even- 

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ing  clothes,  and  his  face  seemed  peculiarly  forbidding 
and  grim. 

"  Dr.  Hartmann  has  consented  to  join  us,"  he  said 
to  his  wife.  "  Philippe  "  —  he  turned  to  the  butler 
— "  lay  another  place."  Then  he  proceeded  to  in- 
troduce Hartmann  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haddon  and  to 
Duvall. 

The  latter  looked  at  the  doctor  calmly.  "  I  think 
we  have  met  before,  Doctor,"  he  said,  in  an  even 
voice. 

"  Quite  so."  Hartmann's  face  showed  not  a  trace 
of  emotion  of  any  sort.  "  I  hope  your  servant  is  bet- 
ter." 

"  He's  still  asleep,"  laughed  the  detective,  then  ex- 
plained to  the  others,  in  a  few  words,  his  adventure 
of  the  morning.  He  saw  that  the  Minister  was  puz- 
zled, but  the  latter  said  nothing,  at  the  time,  and  in 
a  few  moments  the  matter  was  forgotten.  Only 
Grace  showed  any  signs  of  alarm  —  Duvall  went 
calmly  on  with  his  dinner  as  though  nothing  had 
happened.  He  spoke  to  her  only  occasionally  and 
then  addressed  her  with  the  formal  politeness  of  a 
total  stranger. 

Dr.  Hartmann  was  observing  him  intently  under 
cover  of  a  spirited  conversation  with  Mrs.  Phelps. 

153 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

It  was  clear  to  Grace  that  he  could  not  quite  under- 
stand why  Duvall,  or  Brooks,  as  he  supposed  him  to 
be,  was  dining  here  at  the  Minister's. 

It  was  quite  late  when  the  party  rose  from  the 
table,  and,  a  little  while  later,  Grace,  anxious  to  get 
away  from  the  place,  and  be  alone  with  Richard,  an- 
nounced that  she  must  return  home.  "  Mr.  Brooks 
has  kindly  offered  to  escort  me,"  she  said,  quickly, 
fearful  that  Dr.  Hartmann  might  suggest  that  she 
return  with  him. 

The  latter  smiled  coldly,  his  eyes  fixed  on  her  with 
a  gleam  of  suspicion.  "  I  think  I  shall  be  going  my- 
self," he  said,  as  he  took  leave  of  the  remainder  of 
the  party. 

As  they  reached  the  sidewalk,  Duvall  observed  the 
taxicab  he  had  ordered  to  be  in  readiness,  standing 
in  front  of  the  door.  He  helped  Grace  inside,  then 
turned  in  some  hesitation  to  the  chauffeur.  He  dared 
not  tell  the  fellow  to  drive  to  the  railway  station, 
since  Hartmann,  who  stood  beside  the  cab  chatting 
with  Grace,  would  inevitably  hear  him.  He  therefore 
instructed  the  man  to  go  to  Dr.  Hartmann's  with  the 
intention  of  countermanding  the  order  a  little  later,  as 
soon  as  they  had  got  out  of  earshot  of  the  house. 
He  threw  open  the  door,  entered  the  cab,  and  was 

154 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

about  to  pull  the  door  shut  after  him  when  he  felt 
his  wrist  seized  from  behind  in  a  powerful  grasp,  and 
before  he  realized  what  had  happened,  Dr.  Hartmann 
had  stepped  into  the  cab  and  closed  the  door.  The 
chauffeur  at  once  started  off  at  a  great  rate. 

"  I'm  sure,  Mr.  Brooks,"  said  the  doctor,  suavely, 
as  he  sat  down  in  the  forward  seat,  his  right  hand 
still  grasping  Duvall's  wrist,  "  that  you  will  not  mind 
taking  me  home  with  you.  It  is  a  long  walk,  and  I 
fear  there  are  no  other  taxicabs  in  sight." 

Duvall  looked  at  him  sternly,  then  attempted  to 
draw  away  his  hand.  "  What  do  you  mean,  mon- 
sieur," he  asked,  harshly,  "  by  detaining  me  in  this 
manner?  "  He  again  tried  to  free  his  wrist,  but  the 
doctor  was  too  strong  for  him. 

Hartmann  smiled  pleasantly.  "  I  feared,  Mr. 
Brooks,"  he  said,  "  that  you  might  be  tempted  to  use 
the  revolver  which  you  have  in  the  pocket  of  your 
coat."  He  reached  over  quickly  with  his  other  hand 
and  drew  the  revolver  from  the  detective's  pocket. 

Grace,  through  all  this,  had  said  absolutely  noth- 
ing. She  realized  how  fatal  any  interruption  by  her- 

• 

self  might  be.  She  did  not  know  of  her  husband's 
intention  to  leave  Brussels  that  night.  She  had  heard 
him  order  the  chauffeur  to  drive  to  the  sanatorium. 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Perhaps  he  wished  her  to  return  there.  In  that  event, 
it  was  imperative  that  Dr.  Hartmann  should  not  know 
that  the  supposed  Mr.  Brooks  and  herself  were  any- 
thing but  the  most  chance  acquaintances. 

"  Doctor,"  she  cried  out,  "  what  are  you  doing  ?  " 

"  It  seems  that  Dr.  Hartmann  has  suddenly  lost  his 
senses,  Miss  Ellicott,"  exclaimed  Duvall  angrily. 

"  Quite  so,  my  friend,"  said  the  doctor,  sar- 
castically. "  Just  as  our  poor  friend  Seltz  lost  his. 
Don't  try  anything  like  that,"  he  snarled,  suddenly, 
as.  Duvall  attempted  to  release  his  arm  with  a  sudden 
twist.  "  I  have  a  few  questions  I  desire  to  ask  you, 
Mr.  Brooks." 

"  Questions  ?     What  are  they  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  possibly  ask  them  here,  in  the  presence 
of  Miss  Ellicott.  Perhaps  you  will  oblige  me  by 
stepping  into  my  office  for  a  few  moments  when  we 
arrive  at  our  destination." 

*'  I  can  spare  you  five  minutes,"  said  Duvall,  sul- 
lenly. He  could  not  help  remembering  Dufrenne's 
advice,  and  regretted  bitterly  that  he  had  not  followed 
it.  He  had  been  prepared  for  almost  any  contin- 
gency. As  he  left  the  Minister's  house,  his  hand 
clutched  a  revolver  in  the  pocket  of  his  coat.  There 
seemed  no  way  in  which  Hartmann  could  prevent  him 

156 


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from  taking  Grace  to  the  railway  station.  He  felt 
so  sure  of  this  that  he  became  overconfident.  One 
moment  only  had  he  been  off  guard  —  the  moment 
when,  with  his  back  to  Hartmann,  he  had  stepped  into 
the  cab.  And  the  latter,  seizing  upon  that  instant's 
slip,  had  turned  the  tables  upon  him  so  completely  that 
he  cursed  himself  in  his  chagrin.  Here  he  was,  headed 
for  Dr.  Hartmann's  house,  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
town.  Once  there,  the  latter*  s  attendants  could  easily 
overpower  him  and  carry  him  into  the  place  help- 
less. There  seemed  no  possible  means  of  escape.  He 
determined  to  brazen  the  matter  out,  and  meet  Hart- 
mann on  his  own  ground.  Resistance  would  at  this 
juncture  be  useless.  He  congratulated  himself  that 
Grace  had,  by  her  cleverness,  not  shown  her  hand. 
The  doctor  evidently  did  not  suspect,  at  least  not 
very  strongly,  that  she  was  anything  other  than  she 
seemed  —  a  patient.  He  knew  he  would  be  searched, 
and  hoped  that  the  place  of  concealment  of  the  snuff 
box  would  defy  even  Hartmann.  After  that,  he  would 
demand  his  release,  and  rely  upon  Mr.  Phelps  to  get 
it  for  him. 

He  lifted  his  head  and  saw  that  they  were  at  the 
house.  Without  loosening  his  hold  upon  DuvalPs 
arm,  the  doctor  called  to  the  chauffeur,  "  Ring  the 

157 


bell."  The  latter  did  so.  In  a  moment,  a  servant  ap- 
peared. "  Send  Max  and  Rudolph  here,"  cried  Hart- 
mann,  and  presently  two  husky  young  Germans  came 
out  of  the  house.  Hartmann  spoke  a  few  quick  words 
to  them  in  their  own  language  and  they  ranged  them- 
selves on  either  side  of  the  cab  door.  Then  the  doc- 
tor threw  it  open,  and  released  the  detective's  wrist. 
"  Get  out,  if  you  please,  Mr.  Brooks,"  he  said,  with 
a  sardonic  smile. 


158 


CHAPTER  XIV 

WHEN  Grace  arrived  at  Dr.  Hartmann's  that 
night,  she  was  so  utterly  astonished  by  the 
course  which  events  had  taken  that  she  was  scarcely 
able  to  think.  What  to  do  she  could  not  even  guess. 
Here  was  her  husband,  the  man  she  loved,  in  the 
power  of  Dr.  Hartmann,  and  there  seemed  nothing 
whatever  that  she  could  do  to  help  him.  Yet  how 
could  she  go  quietly  to  her  room,  when  Richard  might 
be  in  the  gravest  danger?  On  the  other  hand,  to  at- 
tempt any  resistance,  to  let  the  doctor  know,  by  any 
action  on  her  part,  that  she  and  Duvall  were  work- 
ing in  conjunction,  would  result  in  nothing  but  further 
disaster.  The  thought  flashed  through  her  mind  that 
by  preserving  her  character  of  a  patient,  she  might, 
in  the  morning,  communicate  with  Mr.  Phelps,  and 
secure  his  assistance  in  obtaining  Richard's  freedom. 
These  considerations  came  and  went  in  the  few 
seconds  required  for  the  little  party  to  enter  the  hall. 
Her  husband  went  first.  Dr.  Hartmann  stood  aside 

159 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

to  permit  her  to  follow  him.  Duvall  turned  as  she 
passed  through  the  door,  and  she  heard  him  whisper, 
in  a  voice  scarcely  audible,  "  Say  nothing."  It  was 
the  cue  she  desired.  She  extended  her  hand  as  the 
doctor  came  in.  "  Good-night,  Mr.  Brooks,"  she  said, 
quite  calmly.  "  Thank  you  for  bringing  me  home. 
I  hope  we  shall  meet  again,  sometime." 

"  I  hope  so,"  Duvall  remarked,  indifferently,  then 
turned  to  the  doctor.  "  Now,  monsieur,  let  us  have 
done  with  this  farce  as  quickly  as  possible.  I  have 
no  time  to  waste." 

"Nor  have  I.  Good-night,  Miss  Ellicott."  He 
nodded  pleasantly  to  Grace  as  she  ascended  the  stairs, 
then  addressed  one  of  the  two  attendants.  "  Where 
is  Herr  Mayer?  "  he  asked. 

"  He  is  waiting  for  you  in  the  laboratory,  Herr 
Doctor,"  the  man  replied. 

"  Good !  This  way,  if  you  please."  He  motioned 
down  the  hall.  "  Be  so  good,  Mr.  Brooks,  as  to  pro- 
ceed at  once." 

Duvall  started  off  down  the  hall  in  no  pleasant 
frame  of  mind.  The  whole  affair  had  been  bungled 
by  his  stupidity.  He  passed  through  the  door  which 
Hartmann  presently  opened  at  the  end  of  the  hall, 
and  found  himself  in  a  long  narrow  passage,  lit  by 

160 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

a  single  electric  lamp.  Hartmann  closed  the  door 
carefully  behind  him,  and  came  on  down  the  corridor, 
his  footsteps  echoing  loudly  on  the  concrete  floor. 

At  the  end  of  the  corridor  a  second  door  confronted 
them.  It  was  opened  by  a  tall  blond  man,  with  a 
reddish  mustache  and  brilliant  blue  eyes.  "  I  heard 
you  coming,"  he  said,  nodding  to  Hartmann,  then 
looked  keenly  at  Duvall.  "  So  this  is  the  fellow,  eh? 
Where  shall  we  take  him?  " 

The  doctor  pointed  to  an  iron  door  which  faced 
that  by  which  they  had  entered.  Between  the  two 
doors  ran  a  narrow  corridor,  with  an  iron  staircase 
to  the  left,  leading  upward.  "  In  here,"  he  said, 
shortly,  and  going  to  the  door,  opened  it  with  a  key 
which  he  drew  from  his  pocket. 

Again  Duvall  cursed  his  stupidity.  For  a  moment, 
thoughts  of  resistance  crossed  his  mind  but  he  at  once 
realized  the  hopelessness  of  it,  and  followed  the  doc- 
tor into  the  room.  The  tall  man  brought  up  the  rear, 
closing  the  door  silently  after  him. 

The  room  was  pitch  dark.  In  a  moment,  however, 
Hartmann  had  pressed  an  electric  button,  and  a  bril- 
liant light  flooded  the  place.  Duvall  looked  about  him 
curiously,  and  in  that  fleeting  glance  saw  that  the 
room  was  without  windows  of  any  kind,  and  that 

161 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

the  walls,  smooth  and  white,  contained  no  openings 
whatever,  except  the  door  by  which  they  had  entered. 
The  floor,  as  he  could  tell  by  its  feel  under  his  feet, 
was  of  cement.  The  room  was  bare  of  furniture,  but 
he  perceived  a  number  of  boxes  and  packing  cases 
standing  about  the  walls. 

The  instant  the  door  was  closed,  Hartmann  sprang 
at  the  detective  and  grasped  his  two  wrists.  The 
latter  had  always  been  considered  a  powerful  man, 
but  the  arms  and  shoulders  of  the  doctor  were  those 
of  a  Hercules.  "  Search  him,  Mayer,"  he  said,  as 
he  pinned  DuvalPs  wrists  together  in  his  iron  grip. 

The  man  addressed  as  Mayer  at  once  began  a  sys- 
tematic search  of  Duvall's  person.  With  deft  fingers 
he  explored  his  pockets,  felt  the  linings  of  his  cloth- 
ing, tore  through  the  contents  of  his  pocketbook. 
The  opera  hat  had  fallen  to  the  floor,  in  the  short 
struggle  which  ensued  when  the  detective  found  him- 
self in  Hartmann's  grasp.  Mayer  picked  it  up, 
glanced  at  it  carelessly,  then  threw  it  angrily  into  a 
corner,  where  it  rolled  unobserved,  into  the  shadow 
of  a  large  box. 

"  There  is  nothing  here,"  he  said,  in  a  voice  of  keen 
disappointment.  "  He  must  have  hidden  it  else- 
where." 

162 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  In  his  room  at  the  hotel,  perhaps  —  his  port- 
manteau," the  doctor  said,  eagerly,  releasing  Duvall's 
hands  and  throwing  him  to  one  side  with  some  vio- 
lence. 

Mayer  looked  grave.  "  I  have  searched  everything 
thoroughly.  It  is  not  there." 

The  doctor  muttered  an  oath.  "  The  other  —  the 
old  Frenchman  ?  " 

"  He  was  arrested  to-night  on  a  charge  of  irreg- 
ularity in  his  passport.  Nothing  discovered.  He 
will  be  released  in  the  morning." 

"  Teufel!  "  The  doctor  swore  excitedly  in  Ger- 
man. "  Then  the  other  one  —  the  one  who  was  in 
charge  of  Seltz  —  he  must  have  it." 

"  No.  He  also  has  been  searched,  with  the  same 
results." 

"  May  I  ask  what  you  are  looking  for  ?  "  asked 
Duvall,  calmly. 

"  You  know,  well  enough,  Duvall,"  exclaimed 
Mayer,  turning  on  him.  "  Oh,  yes  —  I  know  your 
name.  The  examination  of  your  baggage  showed 
that.  As  soon  as  I  wired  to  London  and  discovered 
that  the  man  Seltz  had  left  there  last  night,  I  knew 
how  we  had  been  fooled.  One  of  our  men  saw  the 
snuff  box  in  your  possession  just  before  you  left  the 

163 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

hotel  to  go  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Phelps.  What  have 
you  done  with  it?  " 

Dnvall  regarded  his  questioner  calmly.  "  I  do  not 
know  what  you  are  talking  about,  gentlemen.  I  have 
no  snuff  box,  nor  do  I  use  tobacco  in  that  form.  And 
now,  if  you  have  concluded  this  outrage  upon  an 
American  citizen,  perhaps  you  will  let  me  return 
quietly  to  my  hotel.  If  you  do  not,  I  promise  you  you 
shall  pay  heavily  for  it.'* 

His  words,  for  the  moment,  seemed  to  disconcert 
the  two  men.  Then  Mayer  laughed,  "  Nothing  but 
bluff,  young  man  —  American  bluff.  I  know  who  you 
are.  You  followed  Seltz  here  from  London,  and  got 
the  snuff  box  from  him  by  a  trick.  Now  tell  us  where 
it  is." 

The  detective  smiled.  "  I  do  not  know  what  you 
are  talking  about,"  he  said,  quietly. 

Dr.  Hartmann  growled  out  an  oath.  "  Take  off 
his  things,  Mayer.  He  may  have  the  box  in  his 
clothing  somewhere  —  or  the  heel  of  his  boot.  I'll 
get  a  dressing-gown,  from  above."  He  left  the  room, 
and  Duvall  heard  him  clanking  up  the  iron  stair- 
case. 

"  If  you  insist  on  removing  my  clothes,"  he  said 
to  Mayer,  "  I  prefer  to  do  so  myself."  He  rapidly 

164 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

stripped  off  his  evening  suit  and  shoes,  and  threw 
them  upon  the  floor. 

The  man  gathered  them  up,  feeling  each  article 
carefully,  and  testing  the  heels  of  the  boots  with  a 
knife  which  he  drew  from  his  pocket.  He  appeared 
greatly  disappointed  at  not  finding  the  object  of  his 
search.  Then  he  again  examined  Duvall,  feeling  his 
person  from  head  to  toe  with  great  care.  He  had 
just  finished  when  the  doctor  returned  with  a  long 
gray  woolen  dressing  gown,  which  he  tossed  to  the 
detective. 

"  He's  hidden  it  somewhere.  He  hasn't  got  it  with 
him,"  Mayer  exclaimed,  angrily. 

"  Take  him  to  the  small  bedroom  in  the  west  wing," 
said  the  doctor.  "  We'll  get  it  out  of  him,  before 
we're  through.  You  can  leave  the  clothes  in  the  lab- 
oratory." He  cast  his  eye  about  the  room  to  see 
that  nothing  had  been  forgotten.  Duvall  trembled, 
thinking  of  the  hat  lying  unseen  behind  the  packing 
case  in  the  corner.  Hartmann,  however,  did  not  ob- 
serve it.  Without  saying  anything  further  he  threw 
open  the  door,  and  they  all  passed  into  the  little  hall. 

From  there,  Duvall  was  led  up  the  iron  staircase 
to  the  floor  above,  and  found  himself  in  a  large  room 
which  he  took  to  be  the  doctor's  laboratory.  It  was 

165 


dimly  lit  by  means  of  a  reading-lamp.  He  had  a 
confused  vision  of  a  number  of  scientific  appliances, 
bulking  huge  and  forbidding  in  the  shadows,  and  then 
was  conducted  through  a  glass  door  and  along  a  cor- 
ridor similar  to  the  one  through  which  he  and  the 
doctor  had  so  recently  passed  on  the  floor  below.  He 
judged,  from  the  direction  they  were  taking,  that  it 
was  directly  above  the  lower  passageway,  and  led 
back  to  the  main  part  of  the  house. 

In  this  he  soon  found  that  he  was  correct.  A  door 
at  the  end  of  the  corridor  gave  entrance  to  the  upper 
central  hall  of  the  main  building.  He  was  led  off  to 
the  right,  catching  a  momentary  glimpse  of  a  woman 
attendant  sitting  in  a  chair  near  the  head  of  the  stairs 
as  he  passed.  In  a  few  moments  Hartmann  paused 
before  a  door,  threw  it  open,  and  turned  on  the  lights. 
The  detective  saw  before  him  a  well-furnished  bed- 
room, with  two  large  windows,  and  another  door,  which 
he  later  found  gave  entrance  to  a  bathroom.  The 
dark  shadows  against  the  night  light  without  showed 
him  at  once  that  the  windows  were  barred. 

He  turned  to  the  two  men.  "  You  do  not  intend 
to  release  me  then?  "  he  asked,  angrily. 

Hartmann  laughed.  "  You  will  be  quite  comfor- 
table here,  my  friend.  I  am  sure  that  a  few  days  of 

166 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

complete  rest  will  benefit  your  condition  greatly.  I 
imagine  your  trouble  is  merely  a  temporary  affliction 
— •  a  loss  of  memory,  let  us  say,  an  inability  to  recall 
your  name.  We'll  soon  have  you  all  right  again. 
You  have  only  to  inform  me  where  you  have  placed 
the  snuff  box  which  you  stole  from  my  messenger 
thic  morning,  and  I  shall  know  that  a  complete  cure 
has  been  effected.  If  your  friends  are  alarmed  about 
you,  it  will  be  quite  sufficient  to  tell  them  that  you 
are  in  my  care.  Mr.  Phelps,  for  instance,  has  com- 
plete confidence  in  my  ability.  I  will  make  it  a  point 
to  explain  matters  to  him  at  once.  Just  a  trifling 
ailment,  a  disordered  condition  of  the  brain  cells. 
A  week  should  set  you  right  again.  If  there  is  any- 
thing you  wish,  the  attendants  will  get  it  for  you. 
Your  clothes  will  be  sent  up  from  the  hotel  in  the 
morning.  Make  yourself  quite  at  home,  I  beg  of 
you." 

He  turned  away,  with  a  sardonic  smile,  and  Duvall 
heard  the  key  turn  in  the  door  as  it  closed.  He 
glanced  at  the  barred  windows,  the  door,  half-open, 
leading  to  the  bathroom,  and  realized  that  there  was 
not  the  slightest  hope  of  escape.  Dr.  Hartmann  evi- 
dently intended  to  keep  him  a  prisoner  until  he  dis- 
closed the  whereabouts  of  the  snuff  box.  He  smiled 

167 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

grimly  as  he  threw  himself  upon  the  bed.     It  seemed 
likely  that  his  stay  would  be  a  long  one. 

After  a  time  he  began  to  think  of  Grace.  How 
cleverly  she  had  carried  out  her  part!  It  was  clear 
that  the  doctor  did  not  suspect  her,  or,  if  he  did, 
was  unable  to  see  where  his  suspicions  led.  How 
strange  it  seemed  to  realize  that  she,  his  wife,  lay 
somewhere  under  the  same  roof  with  him  —  possibly 
even  in  the  very  next  room !  But  thirty-six  hours  had 
passed  since  their  wedding  and  their  sudden  and  un- 
expected parting.  During  that  time,  he  had  seen 
Grace  but  twice,  once,  at  Hartmann's  office,  in  the 
morning ;  the  second  time,  at  the  Minister's  that  night. 
How  he  had  longed  to  touch  her  hand,  to  put  his  arms 
about  her,  to  feel  his  lips  on  hers.  Yet  as  matters 
stood,  the  chances  of  their  seeing  each  other  in  the 
near  future  seemed  particularly  remote.  He  won- 
dered if  Hartmann  would  keep  him  a  prisoner  in  his 
room.  The  morning,  of  course,  would  tell.  He 
switched  off  the  lights,  got  into  bed,  and  after  a  long 
time  fell  into  a  broken  sleep. 


168 


CHAPTER  XV 

IT  was  late  in  the  afternoon,  when  Dr.  Hartmann, 
through  his  man  Mayer,  discovered  that  Seltz  had 
left  London,  and  should  have  appeared  at  his  office 
with  the  snuff  box  during  the  forenoon.  A  descrip- 
tion of  Seltz,  together  with  a  curious  feeling  of  un- 
easiness which  he  felt  after  the  departure  of  the  man 
who  had  introduced  himself  as  Mr.  Brooks,  caused 
him  to  conclude  that  he  had  been  made  the  victim  of 
a  clever  trick,  and  one  which  only  his  professional 
enthusiasm  had  made  possible. 

He  at  once  set  to  work,  through  Mayer  and  his  men, 
to  locate  Brooks.  This  was  done,  without  difficulty, 
at  the  Hotel  Metropole.  While  the  doctor  followed 
the  latter  to  the  Minister's,  firm  in  his  belief  that  he 
carried  the  snuff  box  with  him,  Mayer  had  arranged 
through  certain  connections  with  the  Belgian  police, 
to  have  Dufrenne  arrested  and  placed  in  confinement 
over  night  on  a  trumped-up  charge ;  Seltz  liberated, 
and  Lablanche  held  on  a  pretense  of  being  concerned 

169 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

in  the  theft  from  the  latter  of  a  valuable  package.  A 
thorough  search  of  Duvall's  baggage  —  Duf renne,  it 
seemed,  had  none  —  disclosed  nothing,  except  certain 
documents  setting  forth  that  the  latter  was  Richard 
Duvall,  an  American  citizen.  It  was  these  papers,  in 
fact,  which  Duvall  had  shown  to  Mr.  Phelps  earlier  in 
the  day. 

There  was  nothing  to  indicate  to  Hartmann  that 
Duvall  was  acting  in  the  interests  of  the  French  se- 
cret police,  but  the  doctor  suspected  it,  knowing  as 
he  did  that  the  recovery  of  Monsieur  de  Grissac's 
snuff  box  would  become  at  once  a  matter  of  the  ut- 
most moment  to  Lefevre  and  his  men.  Curiously 
enough,  his  momentary  suspicions  of  Grace  had  largely 
disappeared.  There  was  nothing  to  connect  her  with 
Duvall.  He  did  not  know  that  it  was  she  who  had 
opened  the  door  and  admitted  Seltz  to  his  house  ear- 
lier in  the  day  —  he  thought  that  Duvall  had  done 
this  himself.  Grace's  manner,  her  conduct  during  the 
ride  in  the  cab  from  the  Minister's  house,  had  shown 
him  nothing.  Still,  he  felt  that  she  would  bear  watch- 
ing and  made  his  plans  accordingly. 

The  sun  was  shining  through  the  windows  of  Du- 
vall's room  when  he  awoke  the  next  morning.  For 
a  brief  space  he  was  unable  to  recognize  his  surround- 

170 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

ings,  then  the  sequence  of  events  came  to  him  with 
a  rush.  He  was  conscious  of  a  knocking  at  the  door. 
He  sprang  up  and  opened  it.  Outside  stood  one  of 
the  men  attendants  whom  he  had  seen  the  night  be- 
fore, with  the  portmanteau  containing  his  clothes. 
The  man  placed  the  bag  upon  a  chair,  and  opened 
it,  then  withdrew. 

Duvall  proceeded  at  once  to  dress.  He  had  just 
finished  when  the  attendant  returned  with  an  elaborate 
breakfast  on  a  tray.  He  ate  heartily.  Evidently  the 
doctor  had  no  intention  of  starving  him.  Upon  the 
table  he  observed  his  watch  and  seals,  which  he  had 
worn  with  his  evening  clothes  the  night  before.  He 
looked  at  the  watch  and  saw,  to  his  astonishment,  that 
it  was  after  nine  o'clock. 

Now  that  he  was  dressed,  he  wondered  what  he 
should  do  with  himself.  It  did  not  occur  to  him  that 
the  doctor  would  do  other  than  keep  him  confined 
to  his  room,  yet  the  man  who  had  brought  the  break- 
fast things  had  not  apparently  locked  the  door  when 
he  went  out. 

Without  any  clear  idea  of  what  he  intended  to  do, 
Duvall  went  to  the  door  and  tried  it.  To  his  sur- 
prise, he  found  it  unlocked,  and  in  a  moment  he  had 
passed  out  into  the  hall. 

171 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

The  house  seemed  deserted.  Even  the  attendant 
who  had  sat  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  the  night  before 
was  no  longer  in  evidence.  He  went  down  to  the  lower 
floor  without  seeing  any  one.  'As  he  passed  the  door 
of  the  doctor's  office,  on  his  way  to  the  entrance,  he 
heard  it  open,  and  Dr.  Hartmann  looked  out  at  him 
with  a  grim  smile.  "  Ah  —  going  for  a  stroll,  I  see, 
Mr.  Duvall,"  he  said,  pleasantly  enough.  "  It's  a 
fine  morning.  I  hope  you  enjoy  it." 

Duvall  made  no  reply.  He  appreciated  fully  that 
Hartmann  was  only  making  fun  of  him,  and  realized 
his  helplessness. 

Once  outside  the  door,  he  paused  for  a  moment  to 
drink  in  the  beauty  of  the  morning.  Straight  ahead 
of  him  stretched  the  driveway  which  led  to  the  main 
road.  The  ornamental  iron  gate  stood  invitingly 
open.  He  went  toward  it,  unconsciously  pondering 
upon  his  situation  and  what  he  could  do,  if  anything, 
to  escape  from  it.  At  the  gate  he  paused,  looking 
about  carefully  to  see  whether  his  movements  were 
observed.  There  appeared  to  be  no  one  near  him, 
although  along  one  of  the  paths  to  the  right  of  the 
house,  he  saw  several  persons  walking,  whom  he  judged 
to  be  inmates  of  the  place.  One  or  two  others  sat 
on  benches  among  the  shrubbery,  reading.  None  of 

172 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

them  seemed  to  take  the  least  interest  in  his  move- 
ments. 

An  empty  cab  passed  slowly,  the  driver  on  the 
lookout  for  a  fare.  For  a  moment  the  detective 
thought  of  escape,  his  hand  came  up  with  a  jerk  to 
signal  the  cabman,  then  suddenly  he  let  it  fall  with 
an  exclamation  of  dismay.  He  could  not  escape  — 
he  did  not  dare  attempt  it,  knowing  that  the  snuff 
box,  which  had  already  caused  him  so  much  anxiety 
and  trouble,  lay  in  a  corner  of  the  room  beneath  the 
doctor's  laboratory.  First  he  must  get  that,  before 
he  could  attempt  to  escape.  He  turned  slowly  back 
toward  the  house. 

Then  suddenly  another  doubt  assailed  him.  Had 
not  Dr.  Hartmann  allowed  him  this  liberty  merely 
-io  see  whether  or  not  he  would  take  advantage  of  it? 
Would  the  latter  conclude,  now  that  he  had  failed 
to  do  so,  that  the  snuff  box  was  hidden  somewhere 
on  the  premises  ?  The  thought  disturbed  him  greatly. 

Still  another  consideration  occurred  to  him.  If  he 
made  any  attempt  to  recover  the  box,  would  his  do- 
ing so  not  show  his  captors  at  once  that  they  had  over- 
looked the  hat  —  a  chance,  indeed,  in  a  thousand? 
The  first  move  he  might  make  toward  the  room  under 
the  laboratory,  would  arouse  Hartmann's  suspicions, 

173 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

a  search  would  be  made  and  the  hat  and  its  precious 
contents  discovered. 

Certainly  he  was  tied  hand  and  foot.  He  dared 
not  leave  the  place,  without  taking  the  snuff  box  with 
him;  he  dared  not  attempt  to  recover  it  for  fear 
its  hiding  place  would  thereby  be  disclosed.  He  was, 
he  suddenly  realized,  as  much  a  prisoner  as  though 
he  were  locked  in  a  cell.  And  Grace? 

The  thought  of  her  caused  him  to  glance  about 
nervously,  and  in  a  moment  he  saw  her  coming  toward 
him  from  the  direction  of  the  house.  She  appeared  to 
be  looking  for  him,  yet  when  she  saw  him,  she  seemed 
in  doubt  as  to  what  to  do.  Duvall  went  up  to  her. 
"  Good-morning,  Miss  Ellicott,"  he  said,  in  a  voice 
clearly  audible  within  the  house,  were  any  of  the 
windows  open.  He  fancied  he  detected  Hartmann's 
dark  face  peering  at  him  from  the  waiting-room. 

"  Good-morning,  Mr.  Brooks,"  she  said,  affecting 
great  surprise  at  seeing  him.  "  You  are  here  still  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes."  His  tone  was  careless,  but  as  he  spoke 
he  moved  in  a  direction  away  from  the  house,  and  to- 
ward a  small  bench  that  stood  beside  the  driveway. 
"  Dr.  Hartmann  concluded  that  I  needed  treatment 
—  I'm  afflicted  with  loss  of  memory,  it  seems.  Beau- 
tiful day,  isn't  it?  " 

174 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

She  murmured  some  response,  waiting  for  him  to 
speak  again.  Presently  he  judged  the  distance  from 
the  house  sufficiently  great.  No  one  was  near  enough 
to  possibly  overhear  them. 

"  The  snuff  box  is  hidden  —  sewn  inside  of  the 
false  crown  of  my  opera  hat,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice. 
"  It  is  in  the  room  under  the  doctor's  laboratory.  He 
does  not  know  it  is  there,  and  I  don't  dare  try  to  get 
it,  for  fear  he  will  find  out.  If  you  have  a  chance  — " 
He  paused. 

"  I  understand." 

"  But  be  careful  —  very  careful." 

"  I  will."  They  sat  down  upon  the  bench  toward 
which  they  had  been  headed.  "  I  had  thought  of 
seeing  Mr.  Phelps  to-day,  and  asking  him  to  have 
you  released." 

"  It  would  be  useless,"  he  said.  "  I  cannot  go 
without  the  snuff  box." 

"  Shall  I  send  word  to  our  friends  in  Brussels?  " 
she  asked. 

"  How  can  you  do  that?  " 

She  explained  the  method,  by  means  of  the  boy  who 
drove  the  delivery  wagon.  He  considered  the  matter 
carefully.  "  Let  them  know  that  I  am  here,  and  why 
I  cannot  escape.  Tell  them  that  the  snuff  box  is 

175 


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safe  —  so  far.  Do  not  let  them  know  where  it  is  — 
I  trust  no  one  with  that  —  except  you,  dear." 

The  tenderness  of  his  voice  thrilled  her.  She  longed 
to  grasp  his  hand  —  to  tell  him  of  the  love  which  filled 
her  heart.  Suddenly  he  spoke,  quickly,  warningly. 
"  Be  careful,"  he  said.  "  We  are  being  watched. 
That  man  Mayer  is  observing  us  with  an  opera  glass, 
from  a  window  of  the  house.  I>on't  look  at  me  that 
way.  I  shall  leave  you  now.  Let  us  meet  during  the 
afternoon."  He  rose,  bowed  to  her  carelessly,  and 
strolled  back  toward  the  house,  leaving  her  disconso- 
late upon  the  bench. 

He  entered  the  hall  aimlessly,  not  knowing  what  to 
do  next.  The  situation  was  one  which  taxed  his  re- 
sources to  the  utmost.  No  case  that  he  had  en- 
countered in  his  whole  experience  offered  the  slightest 
suggestion  whereby  he  might  hope  to  effect  a  solution 
of  his  present  difficulties.  Courage,  resource,  ingenu- 
ity seemed  alike  useless.  He  was  helpless. 

Dr.  Hartmann  appeared  in  the  hall  as  he  entered 
it.  "  Come  in,  Mr.  Duvall,"  he  said,  holding  open 
the  door  of  the  office.  "  Suppose  we  have  a  little 
chat." 

For  a  moment  the  detective  hesitated,  then  decided 
to  meet  the  doctor's  good  nature  in  kind.  "  By  all 

176 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

means,"  he  replied.  "  You  owe  me  some  explanation 
of  your  conduct  in  keeping  me  here." 

"  Keeping  you  here,  Mr.  Duvall  ?  Surely  you  are 
mistaken.  The  gate  is  open."  He  waved  his  hand 
toward  the  lawn. 

"  I  have  no  desire  to  run  away,  like  a  criminal,  Dr. 
Hartmann.  When  I  go,  I  shall  go  in  a  dignified  way, 
and  take  my  belongings  with  me." 

"  Your  belongings ! "  The  doctor  seemed  im- 
pressed with  the  remark.  "  So  you  have  the  snuff  box 
hidden  somewhere  among  them,  have  you  ?  " 

Duvall  began  a  hasty  denial,  but  the  doctor  cut  him 
short.  "  Absurd,  Mr.  Duvall,"  he  exclaimed.  "  You 
would  leave  here  quickly  enough,  if  you  could  take  the 
box  with  you.  But  where  you  have  concealed  it,  I 
confess  I  cannot  imagine.  I  have  examined  your 
things  with  the  utmost  care.  It  is  not  among  them, 
of  that  I  am  certain.  I  gave  you  your  liberty  this 
morning,  to  see  whether  or  not  you  would  attempt 
to  escape.  Had  you  done  so  I  should  have  known 
that  the  box  was  concealed  somewhere  in  the  city,  or 
else  in  the  hands  of  your  confederates.  Now  I  am 
convinced  that  it  is  here.  I  thought  at  one  time  that 
you  might  have  given  it  to  Miss  Ellicott  —  I  have 
an  idea  that  there  is  something  between  you,  although 

177 


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of  that  I  am  by  no  means  certain.  But  I  know  that 
she  hasn't  it,  for  her  belongings  were  searched  with 
equal  care,  last  night,  while  she  slept.  The  thing  is 
a  mystery  to  me,  Mr.  Duvall,  and  I  compliment  you 
upon  your  ingenuity.  Had  you  been  as  wise,  yester- 
day, as  you  were  clever,  you  would  have  left  Brussels 
before  I  discovered  the  trick  you  had  played  on  me. 
Why  you  did  not  do  so  —  why  you  foolishly  remained 
to  dine  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Phelps,  I  confess  I  can- 
not see.  It  is  beyond  me.  But  all  that  is  beside  the 
case.  You  have  the  snuff  box  —  at  least  you  know 
where  it  is.  Are  you  going  to  turn  it  over  to  me,  or 
must  I  force  you  to  do  so  ?  " 

Duvall  listened  to  the  doctor  with  an  impassive 
face.  "  I  know  nothing  about  any  snuff  box,"  he 
returned,  with  a  show  of  anger.  "  You  are  wasting 
your  time,  Dr.  Hartmann.  I  have  nothing  more  to 
say  on  the  subject."  He  turned  his  back  and  gazed 
moodily  out  across  the  lawn. 

Hartmann  regarded  him  with  a  scowl  of  anger.  "  I 
give  you  until  to-night,  Mr.  Duvall,  to  do  as  I  ask. 
After  that,  I  shall  be  compelled  to  force  you  to  do 
so." 

The  detective  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  turned  to 
the  door.  "  You  use  strong  words,  my  friend.  If 

178 


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any  harm  comes  to  me,  my  government  will  know  how 
to  deal  with  you."  His  threat  did  not  seem  to  alarm 
the  doctor  particularly.  "  Do  not  forget,  Mr.  Du- 
vall,"  he  said,  with  an  evil  smile,  "  that  while  I  know 
how  to  cure  mental  disorders,  I  also  know  how  to 
create  them.  Good-morning." 

The  grave  threat  in  his  words  filled  Duvall  with 
uneasiness.  What  did  Hartmann  mean?  Did  he 
propose  to  feed  him  with  drugs,  cunningly  concealed 
in  his  food,  which  would  steal  away  his  senses,  and 
leave  him  a  babbling  child?  The  thought  was  terrify- 
ing. Yet  he  had  until  to-night.  He  decided  to  re- 
turn to  his  room  and  think,  hoping  thus  to  evolve 
some  plan  which  might  prove  a  solution  of  his  diffi- 
culties. In  the  afternoon  he  would  communicate  it  to 
Grace,  and  she,  in  return,  could  send  word  to  Du- 
frenne,  so  that  the  latter  might  cooperate  with  him. 

He  found  everything  in  his  room  as  he  had  left  it, 
and,  seating  himself  by  the  window,  was  soon  plunged 
in  deep  thought.  The  arrival  of  one  of  the  attend- 
ants with  his  luncheon  some  two  hours  later  woke 
him  from  a  maze  of  profitless  scheming.  The  problem 
was  as  yet  still  unsolved. 

After  luncheon,  he  decided  to  go  down  and  have  a 
talk  with  Grace.  By  keeping  away  from  the  house, 

179 


and  walking  through  the  shrubbery,  he  hoped  to  be 
able  to  talk  with  her  more  freely.  Much  to  his  sur- 
prise, he  found  the  door  of  his  room  once  more  locked. 
He  sat  down  with  a  feeling  of  utter  helplessness.  The 
net  was  beginning  to  close  about  him. 

Dinner  was  brought  in  at  seven,  and  with  it  a  small 
bottle  of  claret.  He  made  an  excellent  meal,  in  spite 
of  his  unhappy  reflections.  The  claret  proved  a  wel- 
come addition  to  it.  On  the  tray  was  also  a  cigar. 
Decidedly  the  doctor  was  thoughtful,  he  reflected 
grimly. 

Shortly  after  dinner  he  began  to  feel  strangely 
drowsy.  For  a  time  he  resisted  the  feeling  —  fought 
against  it,  but  his  eyelids  seemed  weighted  with  lead. 
Try  as  he  would,  he  could  not  keep  his  eyes  open.  He 
threw  up  the  window,  gasping  at  the  fresh  air,  but  it 
had  little  effect.  He  rushed  to  the  door,  tried  it, 
found  it  locked  as  he  had  expected,  then  groped  to- 
ward the  bed  and  fell  heavily  upon  it,  drunk  with 
sleep.  "  It  must  have  been  the  wine,"  he  muttered 
to  himself,  and  in  another  moment  his  muscles  relaxed 
and  he  lay  unconscious. 


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CHAPTER  XVI 

WHEN  Richard  Duvall  once  more  opened  his 
eyes,  he  saw  nothing  but  a  blinding  glare  of 
light,  that  hurt  and  bewildered  him  with  its  singular 
and  brilliant  intensity.  He  closed  his  eyes  again  at 
once,  unable  to  bear  the  irritation  which  was  thus 
caused  him.  It  was  not  exactly  pain  that  he  felt,  but 
an  intense  discomfort,  such  as  one  experiences  when 
looking  directly  at  the  brilliant  rays  of  the  sun. 

After  a  few  moments  spent  in  futile  attempts  to 
cover  his  eyes  with  his  hands,  only  to  discover  that 
his  arms  were  tightly  bound,  he  thought  to  secure 
relief  by  turning  his  face  to  one  side,  so  that  his  vision 
might  seek  the  soft  darkness  which  seemed  to  lie  on 
every  side  of  him.  In  this  effort  he  was  equally  un- 
successful. His  head,  his  neck,  his  whole  body,  were 
rigid,  immovable.  He  could  not  stir  an  inch  in  any 
direction. 

He  spent  a  long  time  in  useless  speculation  upon 
the  meaning  of  the  remarkable  situation  in  which  he 

181 


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now  found  himself.  He  felt  no  pain,  no  discomfort, 
except  that  which  the  brilliance  of  the  light  above  him 
caused.  He  determined  at  length  once  more  to  open 
his  eyes,  in  order  to  discover  if  possible  its  source. 

Even  when  his  eyes  were  closed,  he  could  see  that 
the  strange  light  burnt  upon  them.  In  a  way  it 
rendered  his  eyelids  translucent  —  he  was  conscious 
of  a  dull  pulsing  redness  through  which  shot  a  net- 
work of  lines  of  fire.  He  opened  his  eyes  slowly, 
cautiously,  and  looked  upward.  From  some  point 
above  him,  in  what  he  judged  must  be  the  ceil- 
ing of  the  room,  extended  a  beam  of  violet  white 
light,  cutting  sharply  through  the  darkness  like  the 
rays  of  a  searchlight.  At  the  opening  in  the  ceil- 
ing through  which  it  came,  this  beam  was  in  diameter 
not  more  than  two  inches,  but  as  it  extended  down- 
ward, it  widened,  taking  the  form  of  a  long,  thin, 
truncated  cone,  so  that  its  width,  where  it  impinged 
upon  his  face,  was  perhaps  equal  to  twice  that  of  a 
man's  hand. 

The  darkness  of  the  room  about  him  made  the 
beam  of  light  seem  a  tangible,  material  thing.  Its 
brilliance  was  unwavering  —  it  extended  from  the  ceil- 
ing to  the  surface  of  his  face  with  the  solidity,  almost, 
of  some  huge,  glittering  icicle.  He  felt  as  though, 

183 


were  his  hands  but  free,  he  could  brush  it  aside,  fling 
it  off  bodily  into  the  darkness. 

The  effort  of  looking  directly  at  the  source  of  the 
light  made  his  eyes  smart  with  pain,  but  he  found 
that  by  half-closing  them,  he  could  look  off  into  the 
darkness,  through  the  brilliant  cone.  In  the  pathway 
of  its  rays  danced  and  tumbled  innumerable  dust 
specks  —  he  knew  then  but  for  their  presence,  to  af- 
ford the  light  a  reflecting  surface,  its  rays  would  be 
invisible  to  him. 

In  color  the  light  was  not  yellow,  like  sunlight,  but 
had  a  cold  violet-blue  quality,  more  nearly  resembling 
moonlight.  Its  intensity,  as  well  as  the  shape  of  the 
light  cone,  made  him  conclude  that  it  was  being 
focused  through  a  powerful  lens,  or  projected  by 
means  of  a  brilliant  reflector. 

He  could  imagine  no  possible  reason  for  the  situa- 
tion in  which  he  found  himself.  What  the  purpose  of 
the  beam  of  light  was ;  why  it  thus  focused  upon  his 
upturned  face,  he  could  not  guess.  He  thought  about 
it  for  many  minutes,  his  eyes  closed,  his  head  strain- 
ing restlessly  toward  the  soft  outer  darkness.  Pres- 
ently there  flashed  into  his  mind  Dr.  Hartmann's  words 
at  their  last  meeting :  "  While  I  know  how  to  cure 
mental  disorders,  I  also  know  how  to  create  them." 

183 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

The  thought  made  him  shudder.  Was  this,  then,  the 
explanation  of  his  predicament?  Somewhere  he  had 
read,  not  long  before,  a  newspaper  account  of  the 
investigations  of  certain  Italian  scientists,  concerning 
the  effect  of  the  violet  and  ultra-violet  light  rays  upon 
the  cells  of  the  brain.  He  could  not  recollect  just 
what  the  conclusions  had  been,  but  he  did  remember 
that  the  newspaper  article  spoke  of  the  popular  super- 
stition that  moonlight  could  cause  insanity.  He 
knew  Hartmann  to  be  a  scientist  of  vast  ability  and 
resource,  and  realized  that  back  of  the  elaborate 
preparations  he  had  evidently  made  must  lie  some  sin- 
ister purpose. 

For  what  seemed  an  eternity  he  lay  thinking,  unable 
to  come  to  any  rational  conclusion.  The  distressing 
effect  of  the  light  rays  increased,  rather  than  dimin- 
ished, as  his  nerves  became  more  and  more  unstrung. 
It  seemed,  even  with  his  eyes  closed,  that  he  could 
feel  the  weight  of  the  cone  of  light  upon  his  face. 
The  desire  to  escape  from  its  searching  glare  became 
well-nigh  irresistible.  How  long  would  this  torture 
continue?  He  began  to  feel  intensely  tired  and  worn 
out  and  realized  that  could  he  but  shut  out  the  blind- 
ing brilliancy  which  enveloped  him,  he  would  sink  ex- 
hausted to  sleep.  Sleep!  He  could  no  more  sleep, 

184. 


under  the  present  conditions,  than  he  could  fly  to  the 
moon.  Then  there  came  to  his  mind  a  recollection 
of  a  form  of  torture  practised  among  the  Chinese, 
the  prevention  of  sleep.  Prisoners,  he  had  read,  were 
confined  in  a  cage,  in  brilliant  sunlight,  and  prevented 
from  sleeping  by  being  prodded  from  without  with 
spears.  At  the  expiration  of  a  week,  he  had  read, 
the  victim  goes  raving  mad.  Was  this,  then,  Hart- 
mann's  intention? 

Whatever  the  man  did,  he  knew  he  would  adopt  only 
such  methods  as  would  involve  him  in  no  damaging 
consequences.  He  might  be  kept  in  his  present  situa- 
tion until  insanity  ensued,  and  Hartmann  with  his 
reputation  as  a  physician,  a  scientist,  could  calmly 
deny  any  story  he  might  tell,  putting  it  down  to 
the  wanderings  of  a  disordered  brain.  He  realized  the 
cunning  of  the  man,  his  care  to  use  no  physical  vio- 
lence. Should  he,  Duvall,  under  the  strain  of  the 
torture  which  he  realized  lay  before  him,  consent  to 
disclose  the  whereabouts  of  the  ivory  snuff  box,  in 
return  for  his  liberty,  what  could  he  do,  in  retalia- 
tion? Hartmann  would  calmly  deny  his  story,  and 
would  doubtless  produce  witnesses,  such  as  Mayer,  to 
prove  that  the  detective  came  to  him  for  treatment  for 
some  slight  mental  disorder,  some  lapse  of  memory 

185 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

and  that  the  exposure  to  the  light  rays  had  been  but 
part  of  his  usual  treatment.  Clearly  the  doctor  had 
covered  his  tracks  most  successfully. 

Throughout  all  these  torturing  thoughts,  the  figure 
of  Grace  came  and  went  unceasingly.  What  would 
she  do  —  what  could  she  do,  to  aid  him?  He  had 
warned  her  not  to  ask  Mr.  Phelps  to  take  any  steps 
looking  to  his  release.  He  realized  that  were  Hart- 
mann  to  appear  now,  and  give  him  his  freedom,  he 
would  not  dare  to  accept  it.  That  the  doctor  might 
do  this  very  thing  was  his  greatest  fear.  If  he  should 
insist  upon  his  leaving  the  place,  what  could  he  do, 
then,  to  recover  Monsieur  de  Grissac's  snuff  box?  He 
prayed  fervently  that  Ihifrenne  and  his  companions 
might  in  some  way  work  out  a  plan  to  set  matters 
right. 

Presently  he  fell  to  thinking  of  the  snuff  box,  and 
its  safety.  How  fortunate  it  seemed,  that  the  doc- 
tor and  his  man  Mayer  had  overlooked  the  opera  hat. 
He  wondered  if  they  had  thought  of  it  since?  It 
was  clear  that  they  had  not,  else  he  would  no  longer 
be  kept  a  prisoner.  What  was  the  room  beneath  the 
laboratory  used  for?  Its  appearance  had  suggested 
that  it  was  not  used  at  all  —  a  mere  lumber-room, 
a  place  for  storing  boxes  and  crates.  And  then  there 

186 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

flashed  into  his  mind  the  thought,  where  was  he  now  ? 
From  the  apparent  distance  of  the  ceiling,  as  shown 
by  the  beam  of  light,  he  concluded  that  he  was  lying 
on  the  floor,  a  conclusion  which  the  hardness  and  cold- 
ness of  the  surface  beneath  him  amply  proved.  Evi- 
dently it  was  a  floor  of  stone,  or  cement,  not  one  of 
wood.  A  certain  sense  of  familiarity  in  his  surround- 
ings came  over  him.  The  faint  radiance  which  was 
diffused  about  him  by  the  light  cone  showed  the  walls 
before  and  on  either  side  of  him  to  be  of  uniform  black- 
ness, unrelieved  by  any  suggestion  of  windows.  He 
strove  with  all  his  power  to  pierce  the  shadowy  gloom, 
to  come  upon  some  point  of  recognition,  but  the  dark- 
ness baffled  him. 

In  one  corner  a  huge  shadow,  bulking  formless 
against  the  wall,  suggested  the  packing  case  behind 
which  his  opera  hat  had  been  tossed  by  Mayer  dur- 
ing the  search  the  night  before.  The  thought  thrilled 
him  with  renewed  hope.  What  more  likely  place,  after 
all,  for  Hartmann's  deviltries  than  this  silent  room 
beneath  the  laboratory?  If  he  was  lying  there  now, 
and  chance  of  escape  should  come,  he  might  even  yet 
be  able  to  take  the  missing  snuff  box  with  him. 

The  hours  dragged  interminably.  He  was  con- 
scious of  a  keen  feeling  of  pain,  a  smarting  irrita- 

187 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

tion,  in  his  eyes,  which  caused  tiny  streams  of  mois- 
ture to  trickle  beneath  their  lids  and  roll  unheeded 
down  his  cheeks.  The  muscles  of  his  neck  became  sore 
and  swollen,  from  his  incessant  though  useless  effort 
to  turn  aside  his  head.  A  dull  pain  began  to  shoot 
insistently  through  his  temples,  and  his  limbs  became 
numb  and  cold.  The  desire  to  escape  from  the  re- 
lentless brilliance  of  the  light  cone  became  unbearable ; 
he  felt  as  though,  if  relief  did  not  soon  come,  he 
would  shriek  out  in  a  madness  of  terror.  Then  the 
hopelessness  of  doing  so  became  apparent,  and  he 
nerved  himself  with  all  the  power  of  his  will  to  en- 
dure the  ever-increasing  torture.  Yet  this  torture 
was,  he  knew,  largely  mental  —  the  actual  pain  was 
by  no  means  unbearable;  it  was  only  the  dull,  in- 
sistent pounding  of  the  light  rays  upon  his  eyes,  his 
brain,  from  which  he  longed  to  escape.  With  closed 
eyes  and  tensely  drawn  nerves,  he  waited,  watching 
the  endless  play  of  the  tracery  of  light  in  the  dull 
redness  of  his  eyelids. 

The  sudden  sharp  rattle  of  a  key  in  the  door,  fol- 
lowed by  the  turning  of  the  knob,  told  him  that  some- 
one was  entering  the  room.  He  had  a  momentary 
vision  of  a  patch  of  light,  yellow  against  the  sur- 
rounding blackness,  which  disappeared  almost  in- 

188 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

stantly  as  the  door  was  closed.  Then  he  was  conscious 
of  a  shadowy  form  beside  him,  and  heard  the  smooth, 
modulated  tones  of  Dr.  Hartmann's  voice. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Duvall,"  he  said,  "  how  goes  the 
treatment?  Memory  any  better  this  morning?  " 

He  made  no  reply.  The  mockery  in  the  doctor's 
voice  roused  him  to  sudden  and  bitter  anger. 

"  I'm  trying  a  new  modification  of  the  light  treat- 
ment upon  you,"  Hartmann  went  on,  with  a  jarring 
laugh.  "  Dr.  Mentone,  of  Milan,  has  great  hopes 
of  it.  Wonderful  thing,  these  violet  rays !  Have 
you  read  of  their  use  in  sterilizing  milk?  No?  The 
subject  would  interest  you.  How  is  your  mind  this 
morning?  Somewhat  irritated,  no  doubt.  Well, 
well,  that  will  soon  wear  off.  You've  only  been 
under  the  treatment  six  hours.  Scarcely  long  enough 
to  produce  much  effect.  We'll  make  it  ten,  the  next 
time.  It  is  necessary  to  increase  gradually,  in  order 
not  to  superinduce  insanity."  He  went  to  a  switch  on 
the  wall  and  pressed  it,  and  instantly  the  cone  of 
light  disappeared.  Another  movement,  and  the  room 
was  flooded  with  the  yellow  glow  of  an  electric  lamp, 
which  seemed  dingy  and  wan,  compared  with  the  cold 
brilliance  which  it  displaced. 

The  dispelling  of  darkness  brought  to  Duvall's 
189 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

brain  a  rush  of  sensations,  among  which  the  knowl- 
edge that  he  was  once  more  in  the  lumber-room  be- 
neath the  laboratory  stood  forth  with  overwhelming 
prominence.  He  glanced  at  Hartmann  with  red- 
dened eyes.  "  Let  me  up,  damn  you !  "  he  shouted. 

The  doctor  bent  over  him,  his  face  smiling.  "  Just 
a  moment,  Mr.  Duvall.  Have  a  little  patience."  He 
began  to  unbuckle  several  straps,  and  presently  stood 
back,  with  a  wave  of  his  hand.  "  Get  up,"  he  said. 

The  detective's  swollen  muscles,  his  stiffened  limbs, 
still  retained  the  sensation  of  being  bound;  he 
scarcely  realized  that  his  bonds  had  been  removed. 
Painfully  he  crawled  to  his  feet,  and  stood  before  the 
doctor,  blinking,  trying  to  collect  his  faculties.  On 
the  floor  lay  a  number  of  broad  leather  straps,  se- 
cured to  iron  rings  which  had  been  let  into  the  cement 
floor. 

His  first  thought  was  to  make  a  quick  rush  at  his 
captor,  and  after  overpowering  him,  secure  the  snuff 
box  and  dash  from  the  place.  His  eyes  must  have 
shown  something  of  his  intention,  for  Hartmann, 
stepping  back  a  pace,  drew  his  right  hand  from  his 
pocket.  It  contained  an  ugly-looking  magazine 
pistol.  "  Don't  attempt  anything  rash,  ^r.  Duvall. 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

It  would  be  useless.  Even  should  you  succeed  in  dis- 
posing of  me,  which  I  hardly  think  possible,  you 
could  not  get  away  from  my  man  Mayer,  who  is 
waiting  in  the  corridor  outside.  Enough  of  this  non- 
sense," he  went  on,  scowling.  "  I  mean  to  be  quite 
frank  with  you,  my  friend.  I  intend  to  subject  you 
to  this  device  of  mine  — "  he  waved  his  hand  toward 
the  opening  in  the  ceiling  — "  until  you  disclose  the 
whereabouts  of  the  snuff  box.  I  know  it  is  some- 
where near  at  hand,  either  here  or  in  Brussels,  for 
your  two  assistants,  whom  I  have  had  released,  have 
been  hanging  about  the  place  all  the  morning.  If 
the  violet  rays  have  no  other  effect,  they  will  at  least 
prevent  you  from  sleeping,  and  my  experience  shows 
that  loss  of  sleep,  if  persisted  in,  will  shatter  the 
best  set  of  nerves  on  earth.  You  know  what  the 
effect  is,  for  six  hours.  The  next  time,  as  I  said 
some  little  while  ago,  we  shall  try  ten  —  and  after 
that,  longer  periods,  until  the  process  becomes  con- 
tinuous. I  am  giving  you  these  brief  respites,  at 
first,  because  I  have  not  the  least  wish  to  drive  you 
mad  —  all  I  ask  is  the  snuff  box  which  you  took  from 
my  messenger  Seltz.  Give  it  up,  and  you  can  go  at 
your  convenience.  But  I  must  have  it  —  even  if  I 

191 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

am  obliged  to  drive  you  to  the  limit.  I  advise  you  to 
save  yourself  much  suffering,  and  give  it  to  me 
now." 

The  detective  drew  back  his  arm  —  his  fist 
clenched.  The  impulse  to  drive  it  into  Hartmann's 
face  was  overpowering.  He  turned  abruptly  on  his 
heel,  and  made  no  reply. 

Hartmann  waited  for  a  moment,  then  seeing  that 
his  prisoner  was  not  disposed  to  answer,  went  to- 
ward the  door.  "  Max,"  he  called,  opening  it,  "  bring 
in  the  tray."  The  attendant  at  once  entered  with 
a  waiter  containing  food,  which  he  placed  on  a  box 
near  the  door.  "  Is  that  all  ?  "  he  asked.  Hartmann 
nodded  and  the  man  withdrew. 

"  Think  the  matter  over,  Mr.  Duvall,"  the  doctor 
remarked,  as  he  stepped  across  the  threshold  of  the 
door.  "  I  shall  call  upon  you  again,  later  in  the 
day." 

Duvall  waited  until  the  door  had  been  closed  and 
locked,  and  the  doctor's  footsteps  had  died  away  up 
the  iron  staircase.  He  heard  them  for  a  moment, 
on  the  floor  of  the  room  above,  then  all  was  quiet. 

In  a  moment  the  detective  had  stepped  to  the  large 
box  in  the  corner,  behind  which  lay,  he  believed,  the 

192 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

discarded  opera  hat.  At  a  glance,  he  saw  that  it 
was  still  there.  He  was  about  to  stoop  and  pick  it 
up,  when  a  sudden  fear  swept  over  him.  Suppose 
he  was  being  watched.  The  doctor  was  in  the  room 
above.  The  presence  in  the  room  of  the  beam  of 
light  showed  clearly  that  there  must  be  an  opening 
in  the  ceiling,  into  the  laboratory.  For  all  he  knew, 
Hartmann  might  be  observing  his  every  movement. 
He  stopped  in  his  attempt  to  pick  up  the  hat,  and 
pretended  to  be  greatly  interested  in  the  box  and 
its  contents.  After  making  a  careful  examination  of 
the  labels  upon  it,  he  strolled  carelessly  back  to  the 
other  side  of  the  room,  and  ate  the  breakfast  which 
the  attendant  had  left.  He  supposed  it  to  be  break- 
fast, although  he  had  no  realization  of  the  time.  In 
a  moment  he  felt  for  his  watch,  and  found  that  it 
was  still  in  his  pocket.  When  he  consulted  it,  how- 
ever, he  saw  at  once  that  it  had  run  down. 

After  his  meal,  he  began  to  feel  terribly  tired  and 
sleepy.  At  first  he  fought  off  the  feeling,  realizing 
that  his  only  hope  of  freedom  lay  in  keeping  awake, 
with  all  his  senses  alert.  Then  he  thought  of  the  nerve- 
racking  hours  through  which  he  had  just  passed; 
the  many  more  which  were  likely  to  follow,  and  de- 

193 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

cided  that  he  must  have  rest  at  any  cost.  He  threw 
himself  upon  the  floor,  his  head  pillowed  upon  his 
arm,  and  was  soon  sleeping  the  deep  sleep  which  fol- 
lows utter  exhaustion. 


194 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ALL  during  the  afternoon  of  the  day  upon  which 
she  had  first  met  her  husband  during  his  con- 
finement at  Dr.  Hartmann's,  Grace  Duvall  wandered 
about  the  place,  looking  for  him,  waiting  with  grow- 
ing fears  for  his  appearance.  When  evening  came, 
and  she  had  failed  to  find  him,  she  became  greatly 
alarmed.  In  her  excitement,  she  forgot  the  word  she 
had  agreed  to  send  into  Brussels  by  the  boy  who  drove 
the  delivery  wagon,  and  was  just  returning  to  the 
house  when  she  heard  someone  calling  to  her  from  the 
drive.  She  turned  and  saw  that  it  was  the  bread 
boy,  who  had  stopped  his  cart  some  little  distance 
from  the  veranda. 

"  Mademoiselle,"  he  called,  "  you  have  dropped 
your  handkerchief."  He  pointed  with  his  whip  to 
a  white  object  which  lay  in  the  roadway  close  be- 
side the  wheels  of  the  cart.  She  had  not  dropped 
her  handkerchief  —  she  knew  that  it  was  at  that  mo- 
ment tightly  clenched  in  her  left  hand,  but  she  un- 
derstood. 

195 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  Thank  you,"  she  called,  and  hurried  toward  him. 
The  boy,  meanwhile,  had  climbed  down  from  the 
wagon,  and  picking  up  the  handkerchief,  which  he 
had  himself  secretly  dropped,  handed  it  to  her,  with 
a  polite  bow.  She  felt,  as  she  clutched  the  bit  of  linen, 
that  within  it  lay  a  note. 

"  He  is  here,"  she  said  quickly,  in  an  undertone. 
"  The  box  is  safe.  It  is  hidden.  They  have  not 
yet  discovered  it.  But  I  am  afraid  something  ter- 
rible has  happened  to  Mr.  Duvall.  Tell  them  to  send 
help,  quick."  She  turned  away,  and  the  boy  mounted 
his  box,  whistling  gayly,  and  at  once  drove  off. 

Grace  hurried  to  her  room,  to  examine  the  note 
within  the  handkerchief.  She  could  hardly  wait  to 
see  what  it  contained.  The  contents  were  a  great 
disappointment  to  her.  "  Leave  the  house  about  ten 
o'clock  to-morrow  morning,"  it  said.  That  was  all. 
She  had  already  decided  to  do  this,  in  order  to  effect, 
if  possible,  her  husband's  release.  So  far  as  the  snuff 
box  was  concerned,  she  felt  that  she  did  not  care 
whether  the  doctor  discovered  it  or  not,  if  only  she 
might  know  that  Richard  was  safe.  All  during  the 
evening  she  wandered  aimlessly  about  the  house,  hop- 
ing each  minute  that  she  might  come  upon  him,  but 

196 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

her  search  was  in  vain.     Richard  Duvall  seemed  to 
have  vanished  completely. 

Once  she  met  the  doctor,  just  as  she  hrd  given 
up  in  despair  and  was  returning  to  her  room.  He 
spoke  pleasantly  enough,  asked  her  how  she  felt,  and 
showed  much  concern  that  she  had  refused  to  eat  any 
supper.  "  You  must  eat,  mademoiselle,"  he  told  her. 
"  Have  you  taken  regularly  the  tonic  I  prescribed  ?  " 
She  nodded,  not  considering  it  necessary  to  inform 
him  that  she  had  carefully  poured  it,  dose  by  dose, 
into  the  sink.  For  a  moment  she  thought  of  asking 
him  what  had  become  of  Mr.  Brooks,  but  she  feared 
to  rouse  his  suspicions.  "  I'm  feeling  somewhat  out 
of  sorts,"  she  said.  "  I'll  be  all  right  in  the  morn- 
ing." 

"  I  am  gratified  to  observe,"  he  remarked,  as  she 
left  him,  "  that  you  had  no  tendency  to  walk  in 
your  sleep  last  night.  I  trust  the  improvement  will 
continue.  Good-night."  She  could  not  determine 
whether  or  not  there  lay  any  hidden  meaning  back 
of  his  words.  His  mirthless  smile  somehow  made  her 
feel  uncomfortable. 

His  words,  however,  inspired  her  to  form  a  new 
plan.  She  would  go  to  the  laboratory  that  night,  if 

197 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

she  could  by  any  means  escape  the  vigilance  of  the 
woman  on  guard  in  the  hall,  and  find  out,  if  possible, 
whether  or  not  Richard  was  confined  there.  From  the 
windows  of  her  room,  which  faced  the  rear  of  the 
house,  she  could  see  plainly  the  small  square  brick 
building  in  which  the  laboratory  was  located.  There 
were  lights  in  the  floor  on  a  level  with  her  windows 
—  that,  she  knew,  was  the  room  in  which  she  had 
seen  Hartmann  sitting  at  his  desk,  on  the  night  of 
her  arrival.  But  there  were,  she  knew,  rooms  both 
above  and  below  this  one,  and  in  the  latter  lay  hidden 
the  Ambassador's  snuff  box.  Was  Richard  confined 
there,  as  well?  She  determined  to  find  out. 

The  woman  who  sat  on  watch  in  the  hall  came  to 
her  room  at  half -past  ten  and  looked  in  to  see  if  she 
required  anything.  Grace,  who  was  just  getting  in- 
to bed,  told  her  that  she  did  not,  said  good-night 
sleepily,  and  asked  her  to  turn  off  the  lights.  The 
woman  did  so,  and  closing  the  door  softly,  retired. 

Grace  lay  in  bed  a  long  time,  wondering  how  she 
could  get  down  the  hall,  and  into  the  passageway 
leading  to  the  laboratory,  without  being  observed. 
There  seemed  no  possible  way  of  accomplishing  this, 
yet  she  was  determined  to  attempt  it.  Her  thoughts 
were  interrupted  by  the  faint  ringing  of  an  electric 

198 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

bell.  She  knew  it  was  the  one  in  the  hall,  near  where 
the  nurse  sat,  by  which  any  of  the  patients,  desiring 
her  presence  during  the  night,  might  summon  her  to 
their  rooms.  Grace  slipped  out  of  bed,  opened  her 
door  the  slightest  crack,  so  that  she  could  command 
a  view  of  the  hall,  and  peered  out.  She  saw  the 
nurse  coming  toward  her  with  a  glass  of  water  in  her 
hand.  She  disappeared  for  a  moment  into  a  room 
across  the  corridor,  then  reappeared  almost  at  once 
and  resumed  her  seat  at  the  head  of  the  stairs. 

Grace  was  disappointed.  She  had  been  on  the 
point  of  starting  out,  when  the  woman's  reappear- 
ance prevented  her.  She  crouched  on  the  floor  beside 
her  door,  waiting  until  the  nurse  should  again  be  sum- 
moned away. 

She  waited  for  hours.  She  heard  the  church  bells 
in  the  city,  far  off  and  muffled,  booming  the  hour  of 
midnight.  The  nurse  on  the  chair  yawned  and 
nodded.  After  what  seemed  an  eternity,  she  heard 
one  o'clock  strike,  and  then  two.  The  house  was 
shrouded  in  silence.  Her  knees  were  cramped  and 
cold,  from  contact  with  the  floor;  her  whole  body 
seemed  sore,  from  the  nervous  tension  of  her  posi- 
tion. She  almost  screamed,  when  the  electric  bell 
suddenly  rang  out  again,  its  sound  intensified  by  the 

199 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

stillness  until  it  seemed  as  though  it  must  wake  every- 
one in  the  house. 

The  nurse  rose  sleepily,  glanced  at  the  indicator 
on  the  wall  which  informed  her  from  which  room  the 
summons  had  come,  and  started  down  the  corridor  to- 
ward the  west  wing  of  the  building.  As  she  passed 
beyond  the  circle  of  light  cast  by  the  electric  globe 
in  the  central  hall,  Grace  pushed  her  door  open  and 
slipped  noiselessly  out.  For  a  moment  she  hesitated, 
saw  the  woman  enter  a  room  midway  of  the  corridor, 
then  flew  like  the  wind  toward  the  door  which  gave 
entrance  to  the  passageway  leading  to  the  laboratory. 
Her  bare  feet  made  no  sound,  she  gained  the  door 
without  being  discovered,  and  in  an  instant  had  swung 
it  open,  and  was  standing  in  the  long  covered  way 
outside.  She  drew  the  door  to  after  her  noiselessly, 
then  sank  upon  her  knees  and  listened.  In  a  short 
while  she  heard  the  nurse  come  shuffling  down  the  cor- 
ridor, and  the  creaking  of  her  chair  as  she  sank 
heavily  into  it.  So  far,  she  felt  that  she  was  safe. 

She  advanced  along  the  corridor  with  great  cau- 
tion. Her  chief  fear  was  that  the  door  of  the  labora- 
tory might  be  locked,  in  which  case,  she  would  be 
unable  to  proceed  further.  When  she  reached  it, 
and  felt  it  yield  as  she  slowly  turned  the  knob,  she 

200 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

heaved  a  sigh  of  relief.  In  a  moment  she  was  in 
the  laboratory. 

The  room  was  unlighted,  save  for  a  faint  glow 
which  came  from  a  small  black  box  in  the  center  of 
the  floor.  She  had  no  idea  what  this  box  was,  but 
noticed  that  heavy  wires  ran  to  it,  from  each  side, 
and  that  there  were  several  protuberances  upon  its 
top,  which  shone  like  brass.  She  did  not  stop  to 
examine  it  further,  however,  but  looked  about  for 
some  means  of  reaching  the  room  below.  The  idea 
of  recovering  the  snuff  box  had  suddenly  occurred  to 
her.  With  that  in  her  possession,  Richard,  she  be- 
lieved, need  no  longer  hesitate  to  escape  at  the  first 
opportunity.  He  had  told  her  that  it  was  hidden 
in  the  room  beneath.  She  ran  quickly  down  the  steps 
which  she  observed  in  one  corner,  feeling  a  glow  of 
excitement  at  the  daring  of  her  quest. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  stairs  she  found  a  narrow 
little  corridor  with  a  heavy  door  opening  on  it  which 
she  judged  led  into  the  room  she  desired  to  enter. 
The  corridor  was  lighted  by  a  single  window  at  the 
end  opposite  the  staircase,  through  which  came  a  faint 
light  from  without. 

She  groped  about  in  the  semi-darkness  until  she 
found  the  knob  of  the  door  and  slowly  turned  it, 

201 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

pressing  her  weight  against  the  panels.  It  did  not 
yield.  With  a  sickening  feeling  of  disappointment 
she  realized  that  it  was  locked. 

She  stood  still  for  a  moment,  wondering  what  she 
should  do  next.  Suddenly  she  shuddered,  and  a  hor- 
rible f  aintness  came  over  her.  From  within  the  room 
she  distinctly  heard  the  slow  moaning  of  someone 
evidently  in  great  pain.  Thoughts  of  Richard  at 
once  rushed  through  her  mind;  she  flung  herself  on 
her  knees,  in  an  agony  of  fear,  and  sought  frantically 
for  the  keyhole.  At  last  she  found  it,  and  looked 
into  the  room.  The  sight  that  met  her  ga/e  sent 
her  reeling  backward.  There  lay  Richard,  her  hus- 
band, upon  the  floor,  his  face  encircled  by  a  ring 
of  blinding  light,  by  which  she  could  see,  with  fright- 
ful distinctness,  the  ghastly  expression  of  his  fea- 
tures, the  lines  of  agony  about  his  eyes  and  mouth. 

For  a  moment  she  beat  frantically  upon  the  door, 
calling  to  him  incoherently.  She  thought  he  did  not 
hear  her,  for  he  did  not  turn  his  head.  Then  she 
stopped,  frightened  at  what  she  had  done.  Suppose 
the  doctor  were  to  overhear  her?  Everything  would 
be  lost.  There  was  but  one  chance  for  Richard  now, 
she  felt,  and  that  lay  with  her.  She  would  leave  the 
house,  in  the  morning,  proceed  at  once  to  the  Min- 


There  lay  Richard,  her  husband,  upon  the  floor,  his  face  encircled  by  a 
ring   of   blinding   light. 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

ister's,  and  tell  him  the  whole  story.  Snuff  box  or 
no  snuff  box,  she  was  determined  to  rescue  her  hus- 
band from  his  present  situation,  if  it  was  not  already 
too  late. 

For  a  long  time  she  looked  into  the  room,  watch- 
ing the  face,  grim  and  silent  in  the  circle  of  light. 
She  called  to  him  over  and  over,  softly,  telling  him 
of  her  plans,  of  her  love  for  him,  of  her  sorrow, 
but  he  seemed  not  to  hear.  But  for  the  twitching  of 
his  face,  and  the  low  moans  which  he  uttered  from 
time  to  time,  she  might  have  supposed  him  dead. 

How  she  got  back  to  her  room,  she  could  scarcely 
have  told.  She  staggered  up  the  stairs  into  the 
laboratory,  out  along  the  corridor,  and  at  last  reached 
the  door  leading  into  the  main  building.  She  pushed 
this  silently  open,  and  gazed  cautiously  into  the  hall. 
The  nurse  sat  in  her  chair,  apparently  asleep.  With 
the  utmost  care,  Grace  managed  to  enter  the  hall, 
and  to  close  the  door  behind  her.  Then  seeing  that 
the  woman  was  rousing,  she  determined  upon  a  bold 
plan.  She  opened  her  eyes  wide,  trying  to  give  them 
a  vacant,  staring  appearance,  and  with  arms  extended 
started  toward  the  nurse. 

The  latter  rose  with  an  exclamation  of  alarm,  then 
recognizing  the  sudden  apparition  as  Grace,  came  up 

203 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

to  her,  took  her  by  the  arm,  and  led  her  back  to  her 
room.  She  sank  helplessly  upon  the  bed,  and  pre- 
tended to  fall  asleep.  Whether  the  woman  suspected 
her  or  not,  she  could  not  tell  —  she  noticed  that  she 
locked  the  door,  on  leaving  the  room. 

The  hours  until  dawn  seemed  interminable.  She 
lay  in  bed,  praying  that  there  might  yet  be  time 
in  which  to  save  Richard  from  Hartmann's  machi- 
nations. What  it  was  that  the  latter  was  doing  to  him, 
she  could  not  guess,  but  the  look  of  agony  on  Du- 
vall's  face  told  her  that  his  sufferings,  from  some 
cause,  were  very  great. 

After  a  long  time  the  day  broke,  and  she  dressed 
and  managed  to  choke  down  a  little  breakfast.  She 
kept  in  her  room  until  long  after  nine  o'clock,  not 
daring  to  leave  the  house  before  ten.  Dr.  Hart- 
mann  came  in  just  as  she  was  preparing  to  go.  She 
saw  him  glance  quickly  toward  her  hat,  as  she  put 
it  on.  "  I'm  going  in  to  the  city,  this  morning, 
doctor,"  she  said,  carelessly.  "  There  are  a  few 
things  I  must  get  at  one  of  the  shops." 

He  nodded,  as  though  the  matter  were  quite  un- 
important. "  You  had  another  attack,  last  night, 
Miss  Ellicott,"  he  said.  "  I  regret  that  the  symptoms 
have  recurred." 

204 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  Did  I?  What  did  I  do?  "  she  inquired,  wide- 
eyed. 

"  Nothing,  luckily.  Walked  down  the  corridor  a 
short  distance,  the  nurse  tells  me.  She  stopped  you 
before  you  got  very  far."  He  regarded  her  with 
his  keen  professional  look.  "  Strange  —  you  do  not 
appear  abnormally  nervous.  I  fear  I  shall  have  to 
begin  the  hypnotic  treatment  at  once." 

She  paid  but  scant  attention.  If  she  could  ac- 
complish what  she  hoped,  this  morning,  neither  Dr. 
Hartmann  nor  his  treatments  would  matter  in  the 
least  to  her.  "  I  am  sorry  it  will  be  necessary,"  she 
said,  "  but  of  course  you  know  best." 

When  she  left  the  grounds,  she  watched  carefully 
to  see  if  she  was  being  followed,  but  there  was  noth- 
ing to  indicate  that  such  was  the  case.  At  the  cor- 
ner below,  a  small,  youngish-looking  man  turned  in 
behind  her.  He  appeared  to  have  been  walking 
rapidly,  but  she  had  no  particular  reason  to  believe 
that  he  was  following  her. 

She  made  at  once  for  the  center  of  the  town,  de- 
termined to  walk  the  distance  rather  than  wait  to 
find  a  cab.  On  the  way  she  passed  several  stores, 
and  it  occurred  to  her  to  stop  in  at  one  of  them  and 
buy  a  pair  of  gloves,  to  lend  color  to  her  excuses. 

205 


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She  did  so,  and  was  just  going  out  again  when  she  sud- 
denly came  face  to  face  with  the  young  man  she  had 
thought  was  following  her.  "  Miss  Ellicott,"  he  said, 
raising  his  hat,  and  as  his  hand  was  poised  before 
her  eyes,  she  saw  on  his  finger  a  ring  similar  to  the 
one  which  had  been  given  her  in  Paris  by  Monsieur 
Lefevre,  on  the  day  of  her  departure.  She  colored, 
started  to  pass  on,  then  stopped.  "  Good-morning," 
she  gasped,  faintly. 

"  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you,"  he  rattled  on.  "  Don't 
you  remember  our  being  introduced,  at  dinner  one 
night,  in  Paris.  I'm  delighted  to  meet  you  again. 
On  your  way  down-town,  I  suppose?  "  His  remark 
seemed  a  question.  She  answered  it  at  once.  "  Yes, 
a  little  shopping  to  do,  and  then  I  thought  of  stop- 
ping at  the  house  of  some  friends  — -  the  United 
States  Minister,"  she  added,  by  way  of  explanation. 

The  stranger  bowed.  "  May  I  have  the  pleasure 
of  accompanying  you  ?  "  he  asked.  "  I  also  am  go- 
ing in  that  direction." 

Grace  assented,  and  they  went  out  together.  At 
the  door  the  man  summoned  a  cab.  "  It  is  safer," 
he  whispered.  "  We  may  be  observed." 

Once  inside  the  cab,  which  was  a  closed  one,  the 
young  man  began  to  ply  Grace  with  questions.  "  I 

206 


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am  one  of  Monsieur  Lefevre's  men,"  he  told  her, 
noting  her  momentary  hesitation.  "  Be  quite  frank, 
please,  and  tell  me  everything." 

When  she  had  finished  her  story,  he  sat  in  silence 
for  a  long  time.  Then  he  turned  to  her  with  a  ques- 
tion which  made  her  think  he  had  suddenly  lost  his 
mind.  "  Has  Dr.  Hartmann  a  phonograph  in  the 
house  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  A  phonograph  ?  "  she  looked  at  him  curiously. 

"  Yes  —  yes."  His  voice  betrayed  his  excitement. 
"  We  must  send  a  message  to  Mr.  Duvall.  Your 
windows  overlook  the  room  where  he  is  confined.  He 
may  hear  it.  It  is  the  only  way." 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  after  a  moment's  thought. 
"  There  is  a  phonograph  in  the  library  —  a  small  one. 
It  is  seldom  used.  But  Dr.  Hartmann  — " 

"  Listen  to  me,"  he  interrupted,  "  and  do  exactly  as 
I  say.  Pretend  to  be  ill.  Ask  Dr.  Hartmann's  per- 
mission to  have  the  instrument  moved  to  your  room. 
Then  play  the  records  which  I  am  about  to  get  for 
you." 

She  gazed  at  him,  scarcely  understanding. 
"  But  — "  she  began. 

"  Of  course  you  will  play  other  records,  as  well,  but 
this  one  you  must  play  often  —  as  often  as  pos- 

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sible.  I  do  not  know  that  Mr.  Duvall  will  understand 
what  the  message  is  —  it  is  a  chance,  but  we  must 
take  it.  I  myself  do  not  understand  it  very  clearly, 
but  the  suggestion  comes  from  Monsieur  Lefevre  him- 
self. You  know  him.  He  has  your  husband's  safety 
at  heart."  He  leaned  out,  giving  a  few  rapid  in- 
structions to  the  cabman,  and  then  once  more  turned 
to  Grace. 

"  Do  not  visit  the  house  of  the  United  States  Min- 
ister. It  will  be  most  unwise.  As  soon  as  he  learns 
that  Mr.  Duvall  and  yourself  are  at  Dr.  Hartmann's 
house  as  spies,  he  will  of  necessity  refuse  to  assist 
you  further.  Should  he  not  do  so,  should  he  demand 
Mr.  Duvall's  release,  nothing  would  be  gained,  since 
the  snuff  box  would  of  necessity  be  left  behind.  Dr. 
Hartmann  will  not  injure  your  husband  —  he  is  too 
anxious  to  get  possession  of  the  snuff  box  for  that. 
We  will  try  the  phonograph,  to-day,  and  if  that 
means  is  unsuccessful,  we  must  make  an  attempt  to 
regain  the  box,  and  release  your  husband  by  force." 

As  he  finished  speaking,  the  cab  drew  up  at  a 
music  store.  The  stranger  sprang  out,  and  in  a  few 
moments  reappeared  with  a  small  package  in  his 
hand.  He  handed  it  to  her,  then  removed  his  hat 
and  bowed.  "  I  would  suggest,  mademoiselle,  that 

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you  return  at  once,  and  make  use  of  this  as  I  have 
directed.  If  anything  further  occurs,  send  word  by 
the  delivery  boy  to-night."  He  bowed,  and  walked 
rapidly  down  the  street. 

Grace  sadly  ordered  the  cabman  to  return  to  Dr. 
Hartmann's,  and  then  sat  back,  her  mind  torn  by 
conflicting  emotions.  The  whole  thing  seemed  in- 
explicably mysterious  and  confusing.  Here  was 
Richard,  her  husband,  suffering  she  knew  not  what 
agonies  at  Dr.  Hartmann's  hands,  and  these  people, 
who  ought  to  be  attempting  to  liberate  him,  asked 
her  to  play  upon  the  phonograph.  She  tore  open 
the  package  which  the  young  man  had  handed  her, 
and  glanced  at  it  eagerly.  Its  title  told  her  no  more 
than  the  stranger  himself  had  done.  She  read  it 
over  and  over,  aimlessly.  It  was  The  Rosary. 


209 


THE  dull,  heavy  sleep  into  which  Richard  Du- 
vall  had  fallen,  after  Dr.  Hartmann  had  left 
him,  was  suddenly  disturbed  by  the  realization  that 
someone  had  seized  him  roughly  by  the  arms.  He  at- 
tempted to  rise,  struggling  instinctively  against  the 
two  men  who,  he  dimly  saw,  were  bending  over  him, 
but  his  resistance  was  useless.  In  a  moment  the 
leather  straps  which  encircled  his  wrists  and  ankles 
had  been  drawn  tight,  and  he  felt  himself  being  lifted 
bodily  and  deposited  on  the  floor  in  the  center  of  the 
room.  At  first  he  cried  out,  cursing  his  captors 
loudly,  but  an  instant's  reflection  showed  him  how 
profitless  his  remonstrances  were,  and  he  allowed  him- 
self to  be  bound  to  the  floor  in  silence.  In  a  moment, 
Dr.  Hartmann  —  the  detective  saw  that  it  was  he,  with 
Mayer  —  had  switched  on  the  violet  light,  and  he 
once  more  felt  its  blinding  radiance  upon  his  face. 

Hartmann   opened   the   door.     "  I    shall   be   back 
again  in  a  few  hours,"  he  said,  as  he  left  the  room. 

210 


"  I  hope  that  by  that  time  you  will  have  quite  re- 
covered your  senses." 

The  detective  made  no  reply.  He  had  definitely 
made  up  his  mind  upon  one  point:  he  was  not  going 
to  purchase  his  freedom  at  the  expense  of  his  duty. 
The  unfortunate  situation  in  which  he  now  found  him- 
self was,  he  knew  very  well,  entirely  his  own  fault, 
and  his  desire  to  atone  for  his  momentary  careless- 
ness made  him  determined  not  to  accede  to  Dr.  Hart- 
mann's  demands.  He  hoped  that  his  friends  outside 
—  Lablanche,  Duf renne,  even  Grace  —  might  be  able 
to  come  to  his  assistance.  If  he  could  only  know 
that  the  snuff  box  was  safe  in  Monsieur  Lefevre's 
hands,  the  rest  did  not  matter  much. 

These  thoughts  passed  through  his  mind  as  he  lay 
with  closed  eyes,  his  face  quivering  under  the  daz- 
zling light  which  fell  upon  it.  Its  intensity  was, 
he  thought,  greater,  if  anything,  than  it  had  been 
before,  and  the  irritating  effect  upon  his  eyes  more 
pronounced.  He  did  not  open  his  eyes  at  all,  on  this 
occasion,  for  fear  even  a  momentary  exposure  would 
increase  their  sensitiveness. 

Slowly  the  day  passed.  He  concluded  that  it  was 
afternoon,  when  he  heard  far  off  a  bell  striking  the 
hour  of  two,  although  it  might  equally  well  have 


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been  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  for  all  he  could  tell. 
There  was  a  faint  hum  of  conversation  in  the  labora- 
tory above  him,  which  convinced  him  that  it  was 
still  day. 

Presently  his  ear,  acutely  sensitive  to  the  slightest 
noise  which  might  disturb  the  stillness  about  him, 
became  aware  of  a  faint  sound  of  music,  which  seemed 
to  come  to  him  from  a  long  distance  off.  It  was 
a  popular  French  march,  and  from  a  certain  quality 
of  the  notes  he  concluded  that  it  was  being  played 
upon  a  phonograph.  The  strains  of  the  music  dis- 
tracted him,  took  his  mind  from  the  things  about  him, 
and  as  he  listened  to  it,  it  seemed  that  the  effort  of 
keeping  his  eyes  tightly  closed  grew  sensibly  less, 
the  blinding  pressure  of  the  unwavering  light  cone 
upon  his  face  appreciably  easier  to  bear.  He  knew 
that  this  was  but  a  momentary  relief,  but  he  welcomed 
it  eagerly.  Lying  in  this  terrifying  silence,  under 
the  cruel  glare  of  light,  had  become  frightful  —  he 
wondered  if,  after  all,  his  nerves,  his  mind,  could  long 
stand  the  strain. 

The  music  stopped  suddenly.  He  found  himself 
eagerly  hoping  that  there  would  be  more.  In  a  few 
moments  it  began  again,  and  he  was  listening  to  the 
familiar  strains  of  The  Rosary.  He  had  always  liked 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

the  song  —  Grace,  too,  had  been  fond  of  it.  He 
wondered  if  she  could  be  playing  to  him,  trying  to 
soothe  his  fast-shattering  nerves  with  music.  It 
pleased  him  to  think  that  it  might  be  so,  although  he 
had  no  reason  to  suppose  that  Grace  knew  of  the 
torture  to  which  Dr.  Hartmann  was  subjecting  him. 

After  a  time,  the  final  strains  of  The  Rosary  died 
away,  to  be  followed  by  a  German  march,  played  by 
some  military  band.  This,  too,  he  was  glad  to  hear, 
although  he  found  himself  thinking  that  he  preferred 
The  Rosary.  As  if  in  answer  to  his  thoughts,  it  be- 
gan again  —  he  found  himself  repeating  the  words  to 
himself  mechanically,  and  thinking  of  Grace. 

The  music  continued  for  long  over  an  hour.  Du- 
vall  noted  with  surprise  that  while  there  were  many 
other  selections,  The  Rosary  was  played  almost 
every  other  time.  So  often,  in  fact,  did  its  strains 
break  the  stillness,  that  he  became  annoyed  —  in  his 
nervous  state  this  constant  repetition  of  the  song 
worried  him.  After  a  time  he  shuddered  when  he 
heard  it,  hoping  that  each  time  would  be  the  last. 
No  one  but  an  imbecile,  he  muttered  to  himself,  could 
enjoy  playing  a  piece  over  and  over  in  that  aimless 
fashion.  When  at  last  the  impromptu  concert  had 
ceased,  and  the  silence  about  him  was  once  more  un- 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

broken,  he  found  himself  puzzling  in  vain  over  the 
matter,  as  though  it  had  become  of  vast  importance 
to  him. 

After  the  music  ceased,  he  realized  how  much  it 
had  helped  him  to  endure  the  two  or  more  hours 
which  had  elapsed  since  Hartmann  left  him.  His  real 
tortures  were  only  just  beginning.  The  constant 
blaze  of  light  on  his  face,  the  ceaseless  effort  to  keep 
his  eyes  closed,  to  turn  his  head  away,  in  spite  of 
the  bonds  which  prevented  it,  once  more  almost 
frenzied  him.  He  fell  to  wondering  whether  Hart- 
mann had  been  in  earnest,  when  he  told  him  of  the 
qualities  of  the  violet  rays.  Could  they  in  any  way 
affect  his  mind?  The  mere  thought  stimulated  his 
imagination  to  such  an  extent  that  already  he  was 
convinced  that  his  senses  were  wandering  —  that  his 
mind  was  becoming  sluggish  and  dull. 

As  hour  after  hour  passed,  this  thought  became 
almost  a  certainty.  His  head  began  again  to  ache 
terribly,  his  eyes  seemed  to  swim  in  pools  of  liquid 
fire.  Bright  flashes  of  light  darted  through  his  brain, 
and  at  times  it  seemed  almost  on  fire.  The  pain 
which  the  constant  effort  to  turn  his  head  caused,  was 
becoming  more  acute  as  each  minute  passed  —  he  felt 
constantly  on  the  point  of  screaming  out  in  terror 


—  begging  for  release  —  agreeing  to  do  anything 
they  asked  of  him.  Then  with  a  mighty  effort  of  the 
will  he  would  calm  himself,  and  closing  his  eyes 
tightly  once  more,  determine  to  endure  until  the  end. 

After  an  interminable  period,  the  sound  of  the  music 
once  more  fell  upon  his  troubled  brain.  This  time  the 
strains  sounded  more  distinct  and  clear.  Three  times 
in  rapid  succession  The  Rosary  was  played,  then  sud- 
den silence.  He  waited  in  vain  for  more  —  dreading 
the  recurrence  of  the  song,  yet  expecting  it,  as  one 
expects  the  continuance  of  any  oft-repeated  sound. 
There  was  nothing  further,  however,  and  once  more 
the  silence  became  like  the  darkness  about  him,  a  grim 
and  positive  thing. 

Hours  later,  when  his  brain  reeled  endlessly  in  a 
blazing  redness,  and  his  tortured  eyes  seemed  bursting 
from  their  sockets,  the  cone  of  violet  light  vanished 
as  though  some  silent  hand  had  brushed  it  aside,  and 
in  the  reaction  he  fainted. 

He  awoke  again  to  find  himself  lying  on  the  floor, 
with  Hartmann  bending  over  him,  feeling  his  pulse. 
In  a  fit  of  rage,  he  struck  out  with  his  clenched 
hand,  and  missing,  scrambled  to  his  feet.  The  room 
was  faintly  lit  by  the  single  electric  globe,  and  he 
saw  Mayer  and  Dr.  Hartmann  confronting  him,  the 

215 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

latter  with  a  revolver  in  his  hand.  Once  more  he  rea- 
lized the  futility  of  resistance,  and  sank  against  a 
packing  box,  his  hand  covering  his  burning  eyes. 

The  latter  appeared  to  be  no  longer  in  his  former 
state  of  sardonic  good  nature.  "  Are  you  ready  to 
tell  us  what  you  have  done  with  the  box?  "  he  snarled. 

Duvall  made  no  reply,  and  this  angered  the  doctor 
still  further.  "  I'll  give  you  an  hour  to  think  the  mat- 
ter over,"  he  said,  furiously.  "  And  if  you  don't 
come  to  terms  by  that  time,  you  shall  stay  under 
the  influence  of  the  light  until  you  do."  He  turned 
toward  the  door,  followed  by  Mayer,  and  in  a  moment 
they  had  left  the  room. 

Duvall,  in  his  pain  and  distress,  realized  that  some- 
thing would  have  to  be  done  at  once,  within  the  next 
hour,  in  fact,  or  he  would  be  obliged  to  give  up.  Phys- 
ical torture  he  could  stand,  but  to  lie  here  silently, 
under  that  cruel  radiance,  and  realize  that  his  brain 
was  slowly  giving  way,  he  felt  he  could  not  endure. 

Yet  what  was  there  that  he  could  do?  The  walls 
of  the  room,  of  solid  brick,  he  could  not  hope  to  pene- 
trate. The  door,  of  iron,  a  dozen  men  could  not  break 
through.  He  forced  his  shoulder  against  it,  and 
laughed  bitterly  as  he  realized  that  with  all  his 
strength  he  could  not  even  cause  it  to  give  the  f  rac- 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

tion  of  an  inch.  He  determined  to  get  the  snuff  box 
—  to  examine  it  —  reckless  of  his  fear  of  being  ob- 
served. In  a  moment  he  had  snatched  the  opera  hat 
from  the  corner,  torn  out  the  lining,  and  held  the 
box  in  his  hand. 

He  paused  for  a  moment,  listening  intently. 
Everything  about  him  was  still.  There  were  no 
sounds  from  the  laboratory  above.  He  remembered 
now  that  he  had  not  heard  Hartmann  and  his  com- 
panion ascend  the  iron  stairway.  Doubtless  they  had 
returned  to  the  main  building  by  means  of  the  lower 
corridor. 

In  a  moment  he  had  hung  the  torn  opera  hat  over 
the  knob  of  the  door,  to  prevent  anyone  from  observ- 
ing him  through  the  keyhole,  and  going  directly  be- 
neath the  bracket  which  held  the  electric  globe,  pro- 
ceeded to  examine  the  box  carefully. 

The  first  thought  that  came  to  his  mind,  filled  him 
with  a  strange  feeling  of  hope.  He  had  no  more  than 
glanced  at  the  top  of  the  box  when  he  saw  what  he 
had  previously  failed  to  observe,  that  the  circle  of 
pearls  upon  its  top  formed  a  rosary,  which  was  com- 
pleted by  the  ivory  cross  in  the  center.  The  Rosary ! 
Why  had  this  song  been  so  persistently  and  continu- 
ously played?  Was  it  for  him,  some  message,  in- 

217 


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deed,  intended  to  show  him  a  way  out  of  his  diffi- 
culties? Yet  if  so,  to  what  did  it  lead?  There  was 
a  rosary  upon  the  top  of  the  box,  it  is  true,  but 
what  of  it?  Absently  he  began  to  count  the  pearls, 
hardly  realizing  what  he  was  doing.  One  of  them,  he 
noted,  the  one  at  the  very  top  of  the  cross,  was  larger 
than  the  others,  and  he  started  here,  slowly  counting 
around  the  circumference  of  the  box.  His  eyes 
pained  him  frightfully,  and  twice  he  lost  count  and 
had  to  begin  all  over  again,  but  on  the  third  at- 
tempt he  discovered  that  the  pearls  numbered  twenty- 
six.  Even  yet,  the  significance  of  this  fact  did  not 
occur  to  him  —  he  began  to  count  the  pearls  again, 
mechanically. 

Then  suddenly,  in  a  flash,  the  thing  came  to  him. 
Twenty-six  pearls  —  twenty-six  letters  in  the  alpha- 
bet. Evidently  the  box,  in  some  way,  formed  a 
cipher,  a  secret  alphabet,  which  might  be  used  in 
correspondence,  or  in  the  preparation  of  important 
documents,  yet  how  —  how? 

With  repressed  eagerness  he  held  the  box  more 
closely  to  the  light,  searching  its  surface  for  some 
further  clue.  At  once  he  noticed  the  arrangement 
of  the  concentric  circles  of  letters  which  made  up  the 
Latin  prayer.  The  words  were  so  written  that  each 

218 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

letter  stood  opposite  a  pearl,  and  reading  inward  from 
each  pearl,  there  was  a  row  of  letters  six  deep  reach- 
ing almost  to  the  center  of  the  box.  Clearly  here 
were  six  different  ciphers,  that  is,  six  circles  of 
twenty-six  letters  each,  any  one  of  which  might 
constitute  a  working  cipher.  It  was  only  neces- 
sary to  call  the  big  pearl  at  the  top  "  A"  and 
here  were  six  different  letters  opposite  it,  any  one 
of  which,  in  a  system  of  cipher  writing,  might  be 
used  as  the  letter  A. 

Duvall,  however,  knew  enough  about  ciphers  to 
know  that  such  an  arrangement  constituted  no  cipher 
at  all,  in  other  words,  that  ciphers  so  simple,  so 
readily  solved,  as  this,  would  never  be  employed  in 
any  case  where  absolute  secrecy  was  imperative.  He 
felt  that  there  was  something  more  to  the  matter 
than  he  had  so  far  discovered. 

Suddenly  he  saw  that,  just  beyond  each  pearl,  was 
engraved  on  the  ivory  rim  of  the  box  a  number  — 
starting  with  the  large  pearl  at  the  top  as  number  one, 
the  circle  of  numbers  ran  around  the  edge  of  the 
box  until  it  returned  to  its  starting  point,  at  number 
twenty-six.  In  his  efforts  to  see  these  numbers,  which 
were  very  small,  he  gripped  the  box  tightly  in  his 
hands  to  hold  it  the  more  steadily  toward  the  rather 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

dim  light.  In  doing  so,  he  suddenly  became  aware  of 
the  fact  that  the  rim  or  edge  of  the  box,  containing  the 
numbers  and  the  circle  of  pearls,  was  movable.  It 
fitted  so  cunningly  into  the  top  of  the  box,  that  the 
joint  appeared  not  as  a  crack  or  perceptible  space, 
but  merely  as  a  fine  thin  line,  apparently  a  part  of 
the  engraving  on  its  surf  ace,,  Holding  the  lower  part 
of  the  box  firmly  in  his  left  hand,  he  turned  the  rim 
of  the  top  slowly  about.  At  once  the  purpose  of  this 
became  apparent.  Not  only  had  each  pearl,  repre- 
senting a  letter  of  the  alphabet,  six  corresponding 
values  from  rim  to  center,  in  any  one  position,  but  by 
turning  the  rim  around,  twenty-six  such  positions 
could  be  secured,  making  a  total  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty-six  different  alphabets  from  which  a  person  de- 
siring to  use  a  cipher  might  choose. 

Again,  however,  Duvall  was  conscious  of  a  feeling 
of  disappointment.  One  hundred  and  fifty-six  dif- 
ferent ciphers  were  no  better  than  a  single  one,  if  only 
one  were  used.  Evidently  he  had  not  yet  reached  the 
solution  of  the  problem.  In  employing  such  a  sys- 
tem of  ciphers,  some  combination,  precisely  similar 
to  the  combinations  used  on  the  locks  of  safes,  would 
have  to  be  used.  It  was  absolutely  necessary,  in 
order  to  insure  safety,  to  use  not  one  cipher^  but  a 

220. 


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large  number,  changing  the  arrangement  of  the  let- 
ters with  each  line  written  —  even  with  each  word, 
in  order  to  defy  solution.  Yet  such  an  arrangement 
being  purely  arbitrary,  could  not  well  be  trusted  to 
memory,  for,  once  forgotten,  the  translation  of  the 
document  written,  even  by  the  writer  himself,  would 
be  absolutely  impossible.  It  occurred  to  him  that 
as  there  were  six  different  concentric  lines  of  letter- 
ing, each  constituting  in  itself  a  complete  cipher,  the 
obvious  way  to  use  the  box  would  be  to  place  the 
pearls  in  a  given  position,  write  six  words,  using  a 
different  alphabet  for  each  word,  and  then  shift  the 
ring  of  pearls  to  a  new  position,  and  repeat  the  opera- 
tion. This,  of  course,  could  be  done  indefinitely,  al- 
though half  a  dozen  changes  would  be  sufficient  to 
insure  a  cipher  that  would  absolutely  defy  solution. 
Where,  however,  was  the  key?  That,  after  all,  was 
the  important  matter ;  without  it,  the  snuff  box  would 
be  as  useless  to  Monsieur  de  Grissac  as  it  would 
be  to  his  enemies  themselves. 

For  many  minutes  Duvall  puzzled  over  the  matter, 
unable  to  reach  any  satisfactory  conclusion.  Then 
he  began  to  think  of  the  song  which  had  so  clearly 
been  repeated,  over  and  over,  as  a  message  to  him 
from  outside.  The  words  of  the  refrain  began  to  run 

221 


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aimlessly  through  his  mind,  his  eyes  upon  the  box. 
Suddenly  he  realized  that  the  word  cross,  in  its 
repetitions,  its  position  as  the  final  word  of  the  song, 
must  have  a  definite  meaning.  Before  his  eyes  he 
saw  the  cross,  so  delicately  carved  as  to  project 
scarcely  an  eighth  of  an  inch  above  the  thin  and 
fragile  ivory  surface.  Instinctively  he  began  to  push 
at  it,  pressing  it  this  way  and  that,  to  discover,  if  pos- 
sible, any  spring  or  other  means  whereby  it  might  be 
made  to  turn  or  lift  up.  As  he  did  so,  his  fingers 
unconsciously  pressed  upon  the  large  pearl  at  the  top. 
In  a  moment  the  upper  surface  of  the  cross  slid  to 
one  side,  disclosing  a  tiny  shallow  cavity  beneath  it, 
some  quarter  of  an  inch  in  either  direction,  and  no 
deeper  than  the  thickness  of  a  piece  of  cardboard. 
Within  this  lay  a  bit  of  tissue  paper,  tightly  folded. 

Duvall  drew  it  carefully  out  and  examined  it. 
Upon  it  were  written  six  numbers:  12-16-2-8-20- 
4.  There  was  nothing  else  upon  the  paper,  but  Du- 
vall realized  that  he  held  in  his  hand  the  key  of  the 
cipher. 

At  once  Monsieur  de  Grissac's  agitation,  the  serv- 
ant Noel's  death,  Hartmann's  persecution  of  him, 
became  clear.  Evidently  there  were  documents,  some- 
where, of  some  nature,  which  this  cipher  made  intelli- 

222 


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gible  and  which,  without  it,  were  proof  against  all 
attempts  to  read  them.  What  were  these  documents  ? 
Were  they  in  Hartmann's  hands?  These  questions, 
he  knew,  could  not  be  answered  now. 

Immediately  the  question  rose  in  his  mind:  What 
should  he  do  next?  By  destroying  the  tiny  slip  of 
paper,  he  could  render  the  snuff  box  valueless. 
Without  the  key,  no  one  could  use  it  with  success. 
But,  the  key  once  destroyed,  how  could  Monsieur  de 
Grissac  himself  read  the  documents,  for  the  prepar- 
ing of  which  it  had  been  utilized  ?  Possibly,  if  Hart- 
mann  had  such  documents,  they  were  but  copies,  ob- 
tained through  the  corruption  of  some  clerk,  while 
the  originals  remained  in  De  Grissac's  possession. 
For  these  reasons  he  dared  not  destroy  the  cipher, 
at  least  until  all  other  means  of  escape  had  been 
exhausted.  Then  he  realized,  in  a  flash,  that  if  he 
proposed  to  utilize  the  return  of  the  snuff  box  as 
a  means  of  obtaining  his  freedom,  he  could  not  hope 
to  do  so,  if  the  key  was  removed.  Doubtless  Hart- 
mann  knew  of  its  existence.  In  some  way  he  had 
learned,  possibly  through  the  murdered  man  Noel,  that 
the  box  contained  such  a  key,  and  would  examine  it, 
and  satisfy  himself  that  it  had  not  been  removed,  be- 
fore he  would  allow  him  to  leave  the  place.  This 


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would  inevitably  result  in  his  being  searched,  and 
the  key,  ,  concealed  about  his  person,  found.  He 
stood  in  an  agony  of  doubt,  wondering  which  alter- 
native he  should  take. 

His  reflections  were  rudely  disturbed  by  the  sound 
of  footsteps  in  the  corridor  outside  the  door.  In  a 
moment  he  had  replaced  the  tiny  bit  of  paper  in  the 
recess  beneath  the  cross,  slid  the  latter  back  into 
place,  and  thrust  the  box  beneath  a  mass  of  straw 
which  lay  on  top  of  the  packing  case  against  which 
he  had  been  leaning.  Then  he  turned  toward  the  door 
and  had  barely  time  to  hurl  the  opera  hat  into  a 
dark  corner,  when  the  door  opened,  and  Hartmann 
appeared  on  the  threshold. 


224. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

IT  was  not  until  early  in  the  afternoon  that  Grace 
was  able  to  accomplish  anything  toward  carry- 
ing out  the  instructions  which  young  Lablanche  had 
given  her  with  respect  to  the  phonograph.  On  her 
return  to  Dr.  Hartmann's  from  her  expedition  to 
Brussels,  she  went  at  once  to  her  room,  and  locked 
the  record  which  Lablanche  had  given  her  in  her  trunk. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  done  now,  until  after  lunch- 
eon. 

When  the  meal  was  over,  she  asked  one  of  the  at- 
tendants, who  seemed  to  be  a  sort  of  housekeeper, 
or  head  nurse,  if  there  would  be  any  objection  to  her 
taking  the  phonograph,  which  was  a  small  and  rather 
cheap  affair,  to  her  room.  She  wished  to  amuse  her- 
self, she  explained,  playing  over  some  of  the  records. 

The  woman  regarded  her  curiously  for  a  moment, 
but  as  there  seemed  nothing  out  of  the  way  in  the 
request,  she  assented,  with  the  caution,  however,  that 
she  should  not  use  the  instrument  except  during  the 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

day.  "  Some  of  our  patients  are  very  nervous,"  she 
explained.  "  It  might  annoy  them,  if  they  were 
sleeping.  Of  course,  if  there  are  any  complaints, 
you  will  not  continue." 

Grace  got  one  of  the  nurses  to  carry  the  instru- 
ment to  her  room,  and  selected  several  records  from 
those  which  she  found  in  a  cabinet  on  which  it  stood. 
There  were  several  American  records  —  she  took  all 
of  these,  and  some  others  selected  at  random. 

She  did  not  play  The  Rosary  at  once,  but  made  use 
of  one  of  the  other  records.  The  horn  of  the  in- 
strument she  directed  toward  the  open  window. 
When  she  had  finished  the  first  air,  and  adjusted  her 
own  record  upon  the  plate  of  the  machine,  she  felt 
afraid  that  it  might  at  once  be  recognized  as  strange 
and  new,  but  apparently  no  one  paid  any  attention 
to  it. 

She  continued  her  playing  as  long  as  she  dared 
without  running  the  risk  of  attracting  undue  atten- 
tion. When  at  last  she  stopped,  she  felt  as  though 
she  never  wanted  to  hear  the  strains  of  The  Rosary 
again. 

After  dinner,  she  determined  to  disregard  the  sug- 
gestion of  the  housekeeper  to  confine  her  playing  to 
the  daytime,  and  moving  the  machine  somewhat  nearer 

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the  window,  played  the  song  over  three  times  in  rapid 
succession.  She  had  just  begun  to  rewind  the  clock- 
work for  a  fourth  time  when  there  was  a  loud  knock- 
ing at  the  door,  and  Dr.  Hartmann  entered  hastily 
in  response  to  her  rather  frightened  "  Come  in." 

He  was  scowling  fiercely,  and  took  no  pains  to 
conceal  the  fact  that  he  was  angry.  "  Miss  Elli- 
cott,"  he  growled,  "  we  cannot  possibly  permit  you 
to  play  the  instrument  any  longer.  It  annoys  the 
other  patients.  I  am  surprised  that  my  housekeeper 
did  not  inform  you  so  at  once.  Several  have  already 
complained.  I  shall  have  to  take  it  back  to  the  li- 
brary." He  gathered  up  the  instrument  and  started 
toward  the  door,  then  seemed  for  a  moment  to  re- 
gret his  brusqueness.  "  You  will  pardon  me,  I  know, 
but  it  is  quite  out  of  the  question.  Good-evening." 
In  a  moment  he  had  gone. 

Grace  sat  down  and  burst  into  tears.  It  was  not 
the  taking  away  of  the  phonograph  which  distressed 
her  —  she  felt  that  if  anything  could  be  accom- 
plished by  its  use,  it  had  already  been  done  —  but  the 
hopelessness  of  the  whole  situation. 

Nearly  eighteen,  hours  had  elapsed,  since  she  had 
stolen,  half-fainting,  from  the  sight  of  Richard's 
white  and  agonized  face.  Even  Lablanche's  assur- 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

ances  that  Hartmann  would  do  her  husband  no  serious 
injury,  failed  to  comfort  her.  The  whole  affair  of 
the  phonograph  seemed  trivial  and  useless.  What 
message  could  the  words  of  this  song  give  him  —  what 
in  fact  could  they  mean  to  anyone,  except  a  mes- 
sage of  hopeless  love? 

When  the  hour  for  going  to  bed  had  come,  she 
threw  herself,  without  undressing,  on  the  bed,  and 
lay  sleepless,  in  the  darkened  room.  The  vision  of 
Richard,  as  she  had  seen  him,  his  face  within  the 
circle  of  light,  the  night  before,  tortured  her  inces- 
santly. It  seemed  somehow  so  wrong,  so  cowardly 
of  her,  to  lie  here  in  comfort  doing  nothing  to  aid 
him  who,  in  name  at  least,  was  united  to  her  forever, 
and  in  love  was  more  dear  to  her  than  her  own  soul. 
She  could  not  sleep,  and  presently  rose  and  sat  at 
the  window,  her  elbows  resting  upon  the  sill,  gazing 
hungrily  out  at  the  little  square  brick  building  where 
she  knew  Richard  lay  confined. 

The  hours  of  the  night  dragged  along  on  leaden 
feet.  Once  she  heard  the  closing  of  a  door,  and  the 
sound  of  footsteps  echoing  faintly  upon  the  cement 
floor  of  the  lower  corridor.  Within  the  laboratory 
all  seemed  dark.  Evidently  the  doctor  was  not  there. 
Then  she  heard,  through  her  half -opened  door,  noises 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

of  persons  walking  in  the  lower  hallway  of  the  main 
building  and  after  that  the  sharp  closing  of  a  door. 
She  concluded  that  Hartmann  had  gone  into  his  office. 

The  woman  on  duty  in  the  hall  sat  in  her  chair, 
reading  and  yawning.  After  a  time,  Grace  heard 
the  faint  ringing  of  her  bell,  and  the  woman,  after 
consulting  the  indicator,  began  to  descend  the  stairs 
with  a  surprised  look  upon  her  face.  It  seemed  like 
a  providential  opportunity.  She  slipped  quietly 
through  the  doorway  and  sped  as  swiftly  as  she  could 
down  the  hall. 

She  reached  the  door  opening  into  the  corridor, 
without  hearing  or  seeing  anything  to  cause  her  alarm, 
and  passed  through  it  unseen.  As  she  closed  it  be- 
hind her,  she  fancied  she  heard  someone  walking 
quickly  along  the  corridor  beneath.  The  passage- 
way in  which  she  stood  was  in  reality  nothing  but  a 
covered  bridge,  a  few  feet  wide,  built  for  the  sole  pur- 
pose of  providing  a  means  of  passing  to  the  labora- 
tory from  the  second  floor  of  the  main  building.  Be- 
neath it,  a  similar  passageway  connected  the  ground 
floors  of  the  two  buildings. 

She  realized  that  anyone  in  the  corridor  beneath 
her  could  readily  hear  her  footsteps  on  the  wooden 
floor  above,  and  stood,  hesitating,  just  inside  the  door, 

229 


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waiting  until  they  should  have  passed.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments, the  sounds  below  ceased,  and  silence  again 
reigned. 

With  great  timidity  and  caution,  she  began  to  walk 
toward  the  laboratory  door.  In  the  center  of  the  cor- 
ridor, and  half  way  down  its  length,  a  single  electric 
lamp  shed  a  dim  light  on  her  path.  She  realized  that 
if,  by  chance,  anyone  should  be  within  the  darkened 
laboratory,  they  could  readily  see  her  approaching, 
and  therefore  assumed  once  more  the  manner  and  bear- 
ing of  a  person  walking  in  their  sleep.  She  had 
passed  the  light  in  the  middle  of  the  corridor,  and 
was  nearing  the  darkened  laboratory  door,  when  sud- 
denly she  heard  a  faint  click,  and  almost  at  once  the 
laboratory  was  brilliantly  illuminated. 

By  the  light  which  suddenly  flashed  upon  her,  she 
saw  two  figures  standing  in  the  open  door  of  the  labora- 
tory, watching  her  intently.  One  of  these  figures  was 
Dr.  Hartmann,  the  other  the  tall  blond  man  she  had 
seen  with  him  in  the  laboratory  several  nights  before. 
But  it  was  not  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  two 
watching  figures  which  caused  her  heart  to  sink,  and 
a  cold  perspiration  to  break  out  upon  her  forehead. 
The  sudden  rush  of  light  upon  the  floor  of  the  pas- 
sageway had  shown  her  something  else  —  something 

330 


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far  more  strange  and  terrifying.  As  her  gaze  swept 
ahead,  she  saw  that,  for  a  space  of  some  four  or 
five  feet,  in  front  of  the  laboratory  door,  the  wooden 
planking  which  constituted  the  floor  of  the  passage- 
way had  been  removed,  and  instead  of  the  solid  foot- 
way there  yawned  blackly  an  impassable  opening, 
through  which,  in  another  moment,  she  would  plunge 
headlong  to  the  concrete  floor  of  the  corridor  beneath. 

The  sight  filled  her  with  dismay.  She  realized  at 
once  why  Hartmann  and  his  companion  stood  there 
watching  her  —  why  the  section  of  flooring  had  been 
removed.  He  had  evidently  become  suspicious  of  her 
movements,  the  night  before,  and  had  laid  this  trap 
to  test  her.  If  she  was  in  truth  walking  in  her  sleep, 
she  would,  she  supposed,  walk  fearlessly  into  the  yawn- 
ing gap  before  —  if  her  somnambulism  was  a  sham, 
a  trick,  she  would  hesitate,  and  her  fraud  be  dis- 
covered. 

She  did  not  know  what  to  do,  as  step  by  step  she 
approached  that  black  and  gaping  hole.  If  she  kept 
up  her  pretense,  if  she  had  sufficient  courage  to  go 
ahead,  of  what  would  it  avail  Richard  or  Monsieur 
Lefevre,  should  she  maintain  her  assumed  character 
at  the  expense  of  a  broken  leg,  or  neck?  On  the 
other  hand,  to  halt,  to  hold  back,  would  be  to  de- 

231 


stroy  at  once  all  chance  of  her  being  of  any  further 
service  to  her  husband,  and  that,  too,  at  a  time  when 
he  most  sorely  needed  her. 

These  considerations  flashed  through  her  brain  with 
the  speed  of  light  itself.  She  had  scarcely  taken  half 
a  dozen  steps  before  she  found  herself  upon  the  brink 
of  the  opening,  and  realized  that  the  next  step,  if  she 
took  it,  might  be  her  last. 

Then  she  suddenly  collapsed.  The  effort  was  too 
great  —  she  sank  helplessly  upon  the  floor,  her  face 
buried  in  her  arms,  her  whole  body  shaking  with  the 
force  of  her  sobbing. 

In  an  instant  Hartmann  had  sprung  across  the 
opening  and  grasped  her  by  the  wrist,  while  his  com- 
panion was  engaged  in  rapidly  replacing  over  the  gap 
the  section  of  flooring  which  had  been  removed. 
Within  a  few  moments  the  passageway  was  as  it  had 
been  before,  and  the  doctor  was  dragging  her  roughly 
into  the  laboratory. 

She  did  not  cry  out  —  there  was  no  one  from  whom 
she  could  expect  aid.  She  drew  herself  up  and  faced 
her  captor  with  dry  eyes  and  a  face  calm,  though 
pale.  "  What  do  you  mean,  Dr.  Hartmann,"  she  de- 
manded, steadily,  "  by  treating  me  in  this  way  ?  " 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

He  forced  her  into  a  chair.  "  Sit  down,  young 
woman,"  he  said,  gruffly.  "  I  have  a  few  questions 
to  ask  you." 

She  did  so,  without  protest,  summoning  to  her  aid 
all  her  powers  of  resistance  and  will.  He  should  get 
nothing  from  her,  she  determined. 

"  Why  have  you  come  into  my  house,"  he  presently 
asked,  glaring  at  her  in  anger,  "  under  pretense  of 
desiring  medical  treatment?  What  is  it  you  want 
here?" 

She  made  no  reply,  gazing  at  him  steadily  —  fear- 
lessly. 

"  What  is  this  man  Duvall  to  you  ?  "  he  shouted. 
"  Tell  me,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you  both." 

Again  she  faced  him,  refusing  to  answer.  Her  re- 
sistance made  him  furious.  "  Your  silence  will  profit 
you  nothing,"  he  went  on.  "  You  can  do  no  further 
harm  here,  for  I  know  your  purpose.  You  are  work- 
ing with  him  —  you  are  a  detective  —  a  spy,  as  he 
is.  You  pretend  to  be  a  somnambulist  in  order  to 
carry  out  your  ends.  I  suspected  you  long  ago. 
Now  I  know.  This  man  has  robbed  me  of  something 
that  I  am  determined  to  have.  What  he  has  done 
with  it  —  where  it  is  concealed,  I  do  not  know,  but 

233 


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I  mean  to  have  it  —  be  sure  of  that.  If  you  know 
—  you  had  better  confess,  if  you  have  any  regard 
for  his  welfare." 

His  words,  his  brutal  manner,  brought  the  tears 
to  her  eyes.  She  realized  that  she  had  but  to  say 
a  few  words,  to  save  Richard  from  she  knew  not 
what  fate,  yet  equally  she  knew  that  she  could  not 
say  them  —  that  he  would  not  want  her  to  say  them. 
In  her  agitation  she  took  a  handkerchief  from  her 
dress  and  pressed  it  to  her  eyes. 

The  man  Mayer  had  been  regarding  her  in  silence 
throughout  the  whole  scene.  Suddenly  he  stepped 
forward  and  snatched  the  handkerchief  from  her 
hand.  His  quick  eyes  had  detected  a  monogram  in 
one  corner  of  the  bit  of  cambric,  and  with  an  air  of 
triumph  he  held  it  beneath  the  light,  examining  it 
closely. 

Hartmann  came  to  him.  "  What  is  it,  Mayer?  " 
he  asked,  eagerly. 

His  assistant  extended  the  handkerchief  to  him. 
Grace  realized  with  a  sinking  heart  that  it  was  one 
of  several  she  had  herself  embroidered  during  the 
weeks  preceding  her  marriage.  With  what  pride,  she 
reflected,  she  had  worked  over  the  G  and  D,  lovingly 
intertwined  in  one  corner.  "  His  wife !  "  she  heard 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Hartmann  cry,  with  a  harsh  laugh.  "  That  explains 
everything.  That  was  why  he  did  not  leave  Brus- 
sels at  once  —  he  was  waiting  for  her  —  he  would  not 
go  without  her."  He  turned  to  Grace  with  a  new 
expression  on  his  face.  "  So  you  are  his  wife,  eh? 
Very  well.  Now  we  shall  see  whether  or  not  you  will 
tell  me  what  I  want  to  know.  Your  husband  is  con- 
fined in  the  room  below  us.  This  " —  he  indicated 
the  small  black  box  with  wires  attached  — "  is  a  de- 
vice which  I  have  constructed  for  producing  cer- 
tain light  rays  —  light  rays  which  have  a  marvelous 
power,  both  for  curing,  and  producing  disease. 
Look !  "  He  held  his  powerful  hand  before  her  eyes. 
"  This  is  what  they  did  to  me,  before  I  discovered 
how  to  control  them."  She  saw,  stretching  across 
the  back  of  his  hand  and  wrist,  a  broad  red  patch, 
like  the  scar  remaining  after  a  burn.  "  Now  come 
here."  He  seized  her  by  the  wrist  and  dragged  her 
toward  the  apparatus  at  the  center  of  the  room. 
"  Look  —  in  there."  He  indicated  a  short  brass  tube 
which  rose  from  the  center  of  the  box,  resembling  the 
eyepiece  of  a  microscope.  "  Look !  " 

Grace  bent  over  and  applied  her  eye  to  the  brass 
tube,  then  shrank  back  with  an  exclamation  of  hor- 
ror. "  Richard !  "  she  screamed,  then  turned  on  Hart- 

235 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

mann  with  the  fury  of  a  tigress.  "  Let  him  go  — 
let  him  go  —  I  say,  or  I  will  — "  She  realized  her 
helplessness  —  the  futility  of  her  threats,  and  fell 
into  the  chair  in  a  paroxysm  of  sobbing.  Through 
the  brass  tube,  and  the  powerful  lens  which  focused 
the  light  rays  upon  the  space  below,  she  had  seen 
Richard's  face,  white  and  drawn,  within  a  disk  of 
blinding  light,  and  apparently  so  near  to  her  that 
she  could  have  reached  out  and  touched  it.  In  her 
momentary  glance,  she  noted  his  reddened  eyes,  the 
tears  which  coursed  from  beneath  their  lids,  the  agony 
which  distorted  his  countenance. 

"  Now  will  you  tell  me  what  I  ask?  "  cried  Hart- 
mann,  triumphantly. 

Still  she  made  no  reply.  Her  heart  was  breaking, 
her  suffering  at  the  knowledge  of  his  suffering  made 
her  faint  and  weak,  but  even  now  she  could  not  bring 
herself  to  break  the  trust  which  Monsieur  Lefevre 
had  placed  in  her.  She  sat  huddled  up  in  the  chair, 
shaking  from  head  to  foot  with  sobs. 

Hartmann  saw  that  her  resistance  was  as  yet  un- 
broken. "  Take  her  arm,  Mayer,"  he  called  out,  as 
he  seized  her  by  one  wrist.  "  Come  along  now.  We'll 
see  if  a  closer  view  will  have  any  effect."  He 
snatched  up  a  broad  leather  strap  from  a  shelf  along 

236 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

the  wall,  then,  with  Mayer's  assistance,  half-led,  half- 
dragged  her  to  the  iron  stairway  in  the  corner.  In 
a  few  moments  they  had  paused  before  the  door  of 
the  room  where  the  detective  lay  confined.  Hartmann 
threw  it  open  and  pushed  Grace  inside,  while  he  and 
Mayer  followed,  closing  the  door  behind  them. 

For  a  moment  Grace  was  dazzled  by  the  bright- 
ness of  the  light  cone,  and  the  darkness  of  the  re- 
mainder of  the  room.  Then  seeing  Richard  lying 
helpless  on  the  floor  before  her,  she  threw  herself 
to  her  knees,  put  her  arms  about  his  neck,  and  cov- 
ered his  face  with  kisses.  "  My  darling  —  my  poor 
boy ! "  she  cried,  as  she  bent  over  him,  her  shoulders 
shutting  off  from  his  tortured  face  the  blinding  rays 
of  the  light.  "  What  have  they  done  to  you?  " 


237 


CHAPTER  XX 

GRACE  had  remained  upon  her  knees  beside  the 
prostrate  figure  of  her  husband  but  a  moment, 
when  she  was  torn  away  by  Hartmann  and  his  as- 
sistant, and  before  she  realized  their  intention,  the 
former  had  slipped  about  her  waist  the  broad  leather 
strap  he  had  brought  from  the  room  above,  and  was 
busy  securing  it  to  an  iron  staple  fixed  in  the  wall 
at  one  side,  of  the  room.  Then  he  stood  back  and 
surveyed  the  scene  with  a  smile  of  satisfaction. 

"  You  see,  Mayer,"  he  observed,  grimly,  "  my  pur- 
pose. The  wife  sees  the  husband's  suffering.  If  he 
refuses  to  speak,  she  will  speak.  One  or  the  other  will 
tell  us  what  we  want  to  know,  of  that  you  may  be  sure. 
Let  us  leave  them  to  talk  matters  over."  He  and  his 
man  at  once  left  the  room,  and  in  a  few  moments 
Grace  heard  their  footsteps  upon  the  floor  of  the 
laboratory  above. 

"  Richard,"  she  cried,  softly,  "  are  you  suffer- 
ing very  much?  " 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  Never  mind,  dear,"  he  said,  trying  vainly  to  turn 
his  head  so  that  he  might  see  her.  "  What  has  hap- 
pened —  why  have  they  brought  you  here  ?  " 

She  told  him  her  story,  brokenly,  with  many  sobs. 
"  I  could  not  help  it,  Richard,"  she  moaned.  "  I  did 
my  best.  I  could  not  help  their  finding  out  every- 
thing." 

"  I  know  it,  dear.  You  have  done  all  you  could. 
Is  there  any  news  from  outside  ?  " 

"  None.  They  told  me  to  play  the  phonograph  to 
send  you  a  message.  Did  you  hear  it?  " 

"  Yes,  I  heard,  and  understood." 

"  Understood  ?  Then  you  know  something  —  you 
have  some  hope  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know.  It  may  be,  although  I  cannot  see 
what  to  do  now.  I  dare  not  tell  you  more  than  that 
—  these  scoundrels  are  undoubtedly  listening  in  the 
room  above." 

"  Richard,  what  is  that  light?  What  is  it  they 
mean  to  do  to  you?  Dr.  Hartmann  showed  me  his 
hand  —  it  was  all  scarred  and  burned.  He  said  it 
came  from  that."  She  looked  toward  the  glowing 
cone  of  light  with  bitter  anger. 

"  I  do  not  know  —  exactly.  I  am  not  sure.  The 
agony  of  the  thing  is  very  great  —  it  burns  into  my; 

239 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

eyes  —  into  my  brain.  Hartmann  says  it  will  pro- 
duce insanity.  I  do  not  know  whether  this  is  true 
or  not.  I  begin  to  feel  that  perhaps  it  may  be  —  not 
that  the  light  itself  can  produce  it,  but  that  inability 
to  sleep,  pain,  nervous  exhaustion,  the  constant  glare 
and  brilliance  before  my  eyes  —  those  things  might 
cause  a  man  to  go  insane,  if  they  were  kept  up  long 
enough." 

"  But  —  he  —  he  will  not  dare  to  do  that." 

Duvall  groaned,  striving  in  vain  to  turn  his  head 
to  one  side.  "  He  intends  to  keep  me  here,  until  I 
tell  him  where  he  can  find  the  snuff  box,"  he  gasped. 

"  Richard !  "  Grace  fairly  screamed  out  his  name. 
"  Then  you  must  tell  —  you  must!  You  cannot  let 
yourself  go  mad  —  not  even  for  Monsieur  Lef evre." 

"  I  shall  not  tell  —  no  matter  what  comes,"  he  re- 
plied. 

"  Then  7  will.  I  refuse  to  let  you  suffer  like  this. 
I  can't  do  it,  I  won't.  If  you  do  not  speak,  I  shall. 
Oh,  my  God!  Don't  you  see  —  I  love  you  —  I 
love  you  so  —  what  do  I  care  about  this  foolish  snuff 
box?  I  want  you  —  you  —  and  I  won't  let  them 
take  you  away  from  me." 

"  Grace,  you  shall  not  tell  them." 

"  I  will." 

240 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

"  I  forbid  it." 

"  I  cannot  help  it,  Richard.  I  am  ready  to  dis- 
obey you  —  if  I  must,  to  save  your  life.  Even  if  you 
turn  from  me  —  afterward  — I  cannot  help  it.  I 
refuse  to  let  them  go  ahead  with  this  thing." 

He  groaned  in  desperation.  "  Please  —  please  — i 
my  girl  —  listen  to  me.  You  must  not  speak.  We 
must  think  of  our  duty  to  those  who  have  trusted  us. 
Wait,  I  implore  you.  Don't  do  this !  " 

"  I  will.  I  have  a  duty  to  you  which  is  greater  than 
my  duty  to  them.  Dr.  Hartmann ! "  she  screamed. 
"  I  will  tell  everything  —  everything."  She  collapsed 
against  the  wall  and  sobbed  as  though  her  heart  would 
break. 

In  a  few  moments  they  heard  Hartmann  and  Mayer 
descending  the  steps,  and  the  door  was  thrown  open. 

"  Ah,  so  you  have  come  to  your  senses,  have 
you  ?  "  the  doctor  cried.  "  Well,  what  have  you  to 
say?" 

Grace  raised  her  head.  "  If  I  tell  you  where  the 
ivory  snuff  box  is  hidden,"  she  said,  "  will  you  let  my 
husband  go?  " 

"  Yes.  Your  husband,  and  yourself,  and  the  rat 
we've  just  caught  sneaking  around  outside.  He's  up 
in  the  laboratory  now.  You  can  all  take  yourselves 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

off  as  quickly  as  you  like,  when  once  the  snuff  box 
is  in  my  hands.  Now  speak." 

"  First,  let  my  husband  up." 

Hartmann  went  to  the  wall,  and  switching  off  the 
violet  rays,  turned  on  the  electric  lamp,  then  nodded 
to  Mayer.  "  Unbind  him,"  he  said. 

Duvall  staggered  to  his  feet,  half -blinded.  As  he 
did  so,  Hartmann  turned  to  Grace.  "  Speak !  "  he 
commanded.  "  We  are  wasting  time." 

Before  Grace  could  reply,  Duvall  turned  to  her. 

"  I  forbid  you,"  he  cried.  "  If  you  do  this 
thing,  I  will  never  see  you  again  as  long  as  I  live. 
You  are  destroying  my  honor.  I  refuse  to  let  you 
do  it.  Stop !  " 

The  girl  hesitated,  and  Hartmann  swore  a  great 
oath.  "  Take  her  out  of  here,  Mayer,"  he  cried. 
"  She'll  never  speak,  as  long  as  her  husband  is  pres- 
ent to  dissuade  her.  Up  with  her  to  the  laboratory. 
She'll  talk  there,  quick  enough." 

"  No !  "  Duvall  staggered  toward  her.  "  You  shall 
not."  His  movements  were  slow  and  uncertain,  due 
to  the  blinding  pain  in  his  eyes,  and  his  stiffened, 
nerve-racked  limbs.  Hartmann  pushed  him  aside 
angrily.  "  Be  quiet,"  he  growled.  "  Let  the  woman 
alone." 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Meanwhile  Hartmann's  companion  had  torn  away 
the  strap  which  bound  Grace  to  the  wall  and  was 
leading  her  to  the  door.  Her  husband's  efforts  to  de- 
tain her,  weak  and  uncertain,  were  easily  frustrated 
by  Hartmann.  In  a  few  moments  the  door  had 
swung  shut  upon  the  detective,  and  she  was  being 
led  up  the  steps  to  the  room  above. 

Here  she  fell  into  a  chair,  and  looking  about,  saw 
huddled  on  a  couch  in  the  far  corner  of  the  room  a 
little,  bent  old  man,  who  sat  with  his  white  head  bowed 
upon  his  breast,  his  hands  tied  behind  his  back. 
Hartmann  went  over  to  him  and  unfastened  his 
bonds.  "  You  will  be  happier  in  a  moment,  my 
friend,"  he  laughed.  "  This  lady  is  going  to  set  you 
free." 

Duf renne  —  for  it  was  he  —  sprang  to  his  feet. 
"  How?  "  he  demanded.  "  How?  "  As  he  spoke,  he 
crossed  the  room,  his  eyes  gleaming,  and  faced  Grace 
as  she  sat  in  the  chair. 

"  Wait  and  see,  old  man,"  said  Hartmann,  roughly. 
"  Stand  aside,  please."  He  pushed  Dufrenne  impa- 
tiently away.  "  Now,  young  woman,  where  is  the 
ivory  snuff  box?  " 

Grace  raised  her  head  to  reply,  when  the  little  old 
Frenchman  turned  to  her,  pale  with  anger.  "  No !  " 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

he  shouted,  starting  forward.  "  You  shall  not  do  this 
thing.  Would  you  be  a  traitor  to  France !  " 

Grace  looked  at  him  and  shuddered.  His  face  was 
quivering  with  emotion  —  his  eyes  burned  with  pierc- 
ing brightness,  he  seemed  about  to  spring  at  her,  in 
his  rage.  In  a  moment  Hartmann  had  turned  on  him. 
"  Be  quiet ! "  he  roared.  "  I  want  no  interference 
from  you.  Mayer !  "  He  pointed  a  trembling  fore- 
finger at  the  old  Frenchman.  "  Take  this  fellow 
away." 

Mayer  took  Dufrenne  by  the  arm  and  twisted  it 
cruelly.  "  No  nonsense,  now !  "  he  growled,  thrusting 
the  old  man  toward  the  couch  upon  which  he  had 
been  sitting.  "  Hold  your  tongue,  or  it  will  be  worse 
for  you."  Dufrenne  resisted  him  as  best  he  could, 
but  his  age  and  feebleness  rendered  him  helpless.  He 
sank  upon  the  couch,  with  tears  of  anger  starting  to 
his  eyes. 

Grace  dared  not  look  at  him.  The  enormity  of  the 
thing  she  was  about  to  do  appalled  her.  Yet  there 
was  Richard,  her  husband;  Richard,  whom  she  loved 
with  all  her  soul,  in  the  room  below,  facing  madness, 
death.  The  love  she  felt  for  him  overmastered  all 
other  considerations.  She  turned  to  Hartmann  with 

244 


quivering  face.  "  The  box  is  in  the  room  below,"  she 
cried,  in  a  voice  shaking  with  emotion. 

"  Mon  Dieu  —  mon  Dieu!  "  she  heard  Ihif  renne 
gasp,  as  he  started  from  the  couch.  "  You  have 
ruined  us  all." 

Hartmann  and  Mayer  gazed  at  each  other  incredu- 
lously. "  Impossible !  "  the  former  gasped.  "  Im- 
possible !  "  Then  he  turned  to  Grace.  "  Girl,  are 
you  telling  me  the  truth?  " 

She  nodded,  bowing  her  head  upon  her  hands.  She 
could  not  trust  herself  to  speak. 

"  Where  ?  Where  in  that  room  could  it  be  hid- 
den ?  Tell  me ! "  he  shook  her  angrily  by  the  arm. 
"  Haven't  we  wasted  enough  time  over  this  thing  ?  " 

Still  she  made  no  reply.  Now  that  she  had  told 
them,  a  sudden  revulsion  swept  over  her.  She  hated 
herself  for  what  she  had  done,  hated  Hartmann,  hated 
Monsieur  Lefevre  for  placing  her  in  this  cruel  situa- 
tion. 

Hartmann  dragged  her  roughly  to  her  feet.  "  If 
the  box  is  in  the  room  below,  come  with  me  and  find 
it." 

He  hurried  her  toward  the  staircase.  "  Come  along, 
Mayer,"  he  called  over  his  shoulder.  "  Bring  that 


fellow  with  you.  It  won't  be  safe  to  leave  him."  As 
she  descended  the  steps,  Grace  heard  the  other  two 
close  behind  her.  The  Frenchman  staggered  along 
like  a  man  in  a  daze,  offering  no  resistance. 

When  they  burst  into  the  room  in  which  Duvall  was 
confined,  they  found  the  latter  standing  beneath  the 
electric  lamp,  a  look  of  determination  upon  his  face. 
He  regarded  them  steadily,  in  spite  of  his  reddened 
and  burning  eyes. 

Hartmann  paid  little  attention  to  him.  He  was 
too  greatly  interested  in  the  movements  of  Grace. 
"Now,"  he  said,  "where  is  it?  You  say  the  snuff 
box  is  here  —  in  this  room.  Find  it." 

She  hesitated,  looking  at  her  husband  pitifully. 
What  would  he  think  of  her?  Would  he,  too,  regard 
her  as  a  traitor,  a  weak  and  contemptible  creature,  for- 
ever barred  from  love  and  respect,  false  to  her  duty, 
her  honor?  His  face  told  her  nothing.  He  was  re- 
garding her  impassively.  She  remembered  now  that 
he  had  said  that  he  would  never  see  her  again  if  she 
disobeyed  him.  Then  she  turned  away,  her  mind 
made  up.  She  would  save  him,  come  what  might. 
He  had  told  her  that  the  box  was  hidden  in  an  opera 
hat,  in  one  corner  of  the  room.  She  glanced  about 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

quickly,  trying  to  discover  its  whereabouts  in  one  of 
the  dark  corners. 

Duvall  saw  her  intention.  He  took  a  step  forward, 
and  addressed  Hartmann.  "  You  have  forced  this 
girl,  through  her  love  for  me,  to  betray  a  great  trust. 
I  prefer  that,  if  anyone  here  is  to  become  a  traitor, 
it  shall  be  myself."  He  thrust  his  hand  into  the 
pocket  of  his  coat,  and  extended  a  round  white  ob- 
ject toward  the  astonished  doctor.  "  Here  is  the 
snuff  box." 

Dufrenne,  for  the  moment  left  unguarded  by 
Mayer,  sprang  forward  with  a  fierce  cry.  "  No  —  no 
—  no !  "  he  screamed.  "  You  shall  not  —  you  shall 
not." 

"  Out  of  my  way !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  brushing 
the  old  man  aside  as  easily  as  though  the  latter  had 
been  a  child.  With  eager  hands  he  took  the  box,  and 
going  to  the  light,  bent  over  it.  As  he  saw  the  pearls, 
the  cross,  his  face  lit  up  with  delight.  "  This  is  it, 
Mayer.  Just  as  the  valet  described  it."  He  gave 
the  ring  of  pearls  a  swift  turn,  then  pressed  im- 
mediately upon  the  larger  one  of  the  circle  and  slid 
the  top  of  the  ivory  cross  to  one  side.  Duvall,  who 
was  watching  him  with  interest,  concluded  that  from 

247 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

some  source,  probably  through  Monsieur  de  Grissac's 
dead  servant,  Dr.  Hartmann  had  learned  thoroughly 
the  secret  of  the  box. 

With  a  cry  of  satisfaction  the  latter  drew  out  from 
the  tiny  recess  the  slip  of  folded  paper,  glanced  at  the 
row  of  numbers  written  upon  it,  then  passed  it  over 
to  Mayer.  The  latter  nodded  his  head.  "  Now  we 
are  all  right,"  he  muttered.  "  This  is  easily  worth 
a  million  francs." 

"  Money  doesn't  measure  its  value,  my  friend,"  the 
doctor  remarked,  gravely,  as  he  replaced  the  slip  of 
paper  beneath  the  cross  and  put  the  box  carefully 
into  his  pocket. 

During  these  few  moments,  Dufrenne  had  been  ob- 
serving the  doctor  with  bulging  eyes.  Suddenly  he 
turned  on  the  detective.  "  May  the  good  God  curse 
you  and  your  woman  for  this,"  he  cried,  hoarsely, 
"  until  the  day  of  your  death.  May  He  turn  all  men 
against  you,  and  make  your  name  a  despised  and 
dishonored  one  forever.  You  have  been  false  to  your 
duty  —  false  to  France.  You  are  a  traitor,  a  con- 
temptible dog  of  a  traitor,  and  you  deserve  to  die." 
His  whole  body  shook  with  passion  as  he  poured  the 
fury  of  his  wrath  upon  the  man  before  him. 

Duvall  sank  weakly  against  the  packing  case  be- 
248 


hind  him.  Suffering,  lack  of  sleep  and  food,  the 
burning  pain  in  his  eyes  and  brain,  threatened  to 
overcome  him.  "  Let  me  alone,"  he  gasped.  "  I  am 
so  tired,  so  very  tired ! "  He  almost  fell  as  he  ut- 
tered the  words  and  indeed  would  have  done  so  had 
Grace  not  gone  quickly  up  to  him  and  passed  her  arm 
lovingly  about  his  shoulders.  Turning  to  Dufrenne, 
she  regarded  him  with  a  look  of  defiance.  "  He  is 
not  guilty !  "  she  cried.  "It  is  I  —  I !  —  who  have 
been  false.  I  made  him  do  it  —  I  made  him  do  it. 
Go  away,  and  tell  the  others  what  you  please.  I  know 
that  my  husband  has  done  his  best."  She  fell  to 
soothing  him,  kissing  him  upon  his  hot  forehead,  his 
burning  cheeks. 

Dufrenne  looked  at  Dr.  Hartmann,  who  was  regard- 
ing the  scene  before  him  with  impatience.  "  Do  I 
understand,  monsieur,"  he  asked,  in  a  ghastly  voice, 
"  that  I  am  free  to  leave  this  place  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Out  with  you.  I  could  hold  you  for  tres- 
pass upon  my  grounds,  for  attempting  to  break  into 
my  house,  but  I  don't  want  to  be  bothered  with  you. 
Go ! "  He  went  to  the  door  and  held  it  open. 
"  Mayer,"  he  said,  "  show  this  fellow  the  road.  And 
as  for  you  " —  he  turned  to  Duvall  and  his  wife  — 
"  get  away  from  here,  and  from  Brussels,  as  soon  as 

249 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

you  like.  I  advise  you  not  to  stay  in  the  town.  I 
rather  think  that,  through  the  evidence  of  Seltz,  I  can 
make  it  slightly  uncomfortable  for  you.  Tell  what 
story  you  please.  I  have  done  you  no  injury.  You 
came  here  of  your  own  free  will  —  you  could  have 
escaped  and  you  would  not.  As  for  the  light — " 
He  laughed  harshly.  "  An  ordinary  arc,  focused  on 
your  eyes  with  a  powerful  lens.  It  would  probably 
have  blinded  you,  in  time,  and  if  it  kept  you  awake 
long  enough,  you  would  no  doubt  have  gone  mad,  but 
so  far  you  are  not  hurt  much.  I  can  swear  that  it  is 
part  of  my  new  treatment  for  a  disordered  mental 
state.  My  man  here  will  agree  with  me.  What  are 
you  going  to  do  about  it?  How  are  you  going  to  ex- 
plain your  robbery  of  Seltz  in  my  office,  the  deception 
your  wife  has  practised  upon  me  and  upon  the  United 
States  Minister?  And  above  all,  now  that  I  have  the 
secret  I  desired,  I  am  quite  willing  to  have  a  cast  made 
of  the  snuff  box  and  return  it  to  you,  but  I  fancy  that 
neither  Monsieur  de  Grissac  nor  my  friend  Lefevre 
will  want  to  have  the  matter  made  public  in  the  courts. 
You'd  better  leave  here  quietly  and  take  the  first 
steamer  to  America.  I  don't  fancy  you'll  find  a  very 
flattering  reception  awaiting  you  in  Paris."  He 
turned  to  the  door.  "  Come,  I'll  have  your  belongings 

250 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

put  on  a  cab,  and  be  glad  to  be  rid  of  you."  He 
paused  beside  the  doorway,  waiting. 

Grace  turned  to  her  husband.  "  Come,  Richard," 
she  said.  "  Let  us  go." 

He  made  no  reply,  but  followed  her  blindly.  His 
spirits  seemed  broken,  he  walked  like  a  man  in  a  heavy 
sleep. 

It  was  just  dawn  when,  half  an  hour  later,  Richard 
Duvall  and  his  wife  drove  silently  through  the  ghostly 
streets  of  Brussels  toward  the  railway  station.  The 
detective  did  not  speak.  He  sat  silent,  plunged  in  a 
deep  stupor.  Grace,  her  heart  breaking,  held  one 
of  his  hands,  and  with  white  face,  gazed  helplessly  out 
of  the  window  at  the  city,  just  waking  to  another  day. 
To  all  these  people  the  dawn  came  with  some  measure 
of  hope,  of  happiness,  but  to  her,  and  to  her  husband, 
now  once  more  beginning  their  honeymoon,  the  future 
seemed  full  of  bitterness  and  despair.  She  shivered 
in  the  cold  morning  air,  and  the  tears  she  could  not  re- 
press stole  unheeded  down  her  cheeks. 


251 


CHAPTER  XXI 

IT  was  not  until  they  had  reached  the  railway  sta- 
tion that  Richard  Duvall  roused  himself  from  the 
stupor  in  which  he  had  sat  ever  since  he  and  his  wife 
had  driven  away  from  Dr.  Hartmann's.  When  their 
baggage  had  been  deposited  on  the  platform,  under 
the  care  of  a  solicitous  porter,  and  the  cabman  had 
been  paid  and  gone  his  way,  Grace  asked  her  husband 
concerning  their  destination.  "  Shall  we  go  to  Ant- 
werp ?  "  she  said,  listlessly.  "  We  can  get  a  steamer 
there,  or  cross  to  England."  She  awaited  his  reply 
without  interest.  It  seemed  to  matter  very  little 
where  they  went,  now. 

Duvall  turned  to  the  waiting  porter.  "  When  is  the 
next  train  for  Paris  ?  "  he  asked.  The  man  answered 
at  once,  glancing  at  the  clock  in  the  waiting-room. 
"  In  forty  minutes,  monsieur.  You  will  have  time  for 
rolls  and  coffee." 

"  Paris ! "  exclaimed  Grace,  in  much  surprise. 
"  Why  should  we  go  to  Paris,  dear?  I  don't  care 

252 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

about  the  things  I  left  there.  We  can  telegraph  for 
them.  Oh,  Richard,  I  can't  go  back  and  face  Mon- 
sieur Lefevre  now."  She  looked  eagerly  at  his  face, 
but  its  expression  told  her  nothing.  "  I  must  make 
my  report  to  the  Prefect,"  he  answered.  "  It  is  my 
duty." 

Over  their  simple  breakfast  he  was  uncommunica- 
tive. "  Don't  worry,  dear,"  he  said,  once,  when  she 
had  plied  him  with  questions,  attempted  to  change  his 
decision  by  arguments.  "  I  cannot  afford  to  run 
away.  Monsieur  Lefevre  has  given  me  a  duty  to  per- 
form, and  I  must  at  least  tell  my  story.  After  that, 
we  can  go  to  America,  but  not  now." 

She  could  get  no  more  out  of  him,  and  with  tears  in 
her  eyes,  followed  him  to  the  compartment  in  the 
Paris  train  which  the  porter  had  secured  for  them. 
There  were  few  people  traveling  at  this  early  hour. 
They  had  the  compartment  to  themselves.  Duvall 
rolled  himself  in  his  overcoat  and  lay  down  upon  one 
of  the  seats.  "  I  am  very  tired,  dear,"  he  told  her. 
"  I  have  suffered  a  frightful  strain.  My  eyes  hurt  so 
that  I  can  scarcely  see.  I  am  sick  for  want  of  sleep. 
There  is  a  hard  task  before  me,  when  I  get  to  Paris. 
I  must  have  a  little  rest."  He  turned  his  face  away 
from  the  light,  and  lay  quiet,  breathing  heavily. 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Grace  sat  huddled  up  in  a  corner  of  the  opposite 
seat,  watching  him,  a  great  tenderness  in  her  eyes. 
After  all,  she  thought,  he  was  her  husband,  the  man 
she  loved,  and  if  he  had  appeared  to  act  the  part  of  a 
traitor  to  his  cause,  it  was  only  because  she,  by  her 
weakness,  her  love  for  him,  had  forced  him  to  do  so. 
At  the  last  moment  he  had  thought  of  her  —  his  one 
thought  had  been  to  save  her  from  disgrace  and  dis- 
honor. He  had  assumed  the  blame,  for  he  had  given 
up  the  snuff  box  of  his  own  free  will.  Had  he  al- 
lowed her  to  do  so,  he  could  have  preserved  his  own 
name,  his  own  honor,  clear  of  all  accusation  or  stain. 
It  made  her  love  him  doubly,  that  he  had  thus  stepped 
into  the  breach  at  the  last  moment  and  taken  upon 
himself  the  guilt  which  she  knew  belonged  in  reality 
upon  her. 

As  she  sat  there,  conscious  only  of  the  flying  trees 
outside  the  car  windows,  the  clicking  of  the  wheels 
upon  the  rails,  and  the  low  breathing  of  her  hus- 
band on  the  seat  before  her,  her  mind  went  forward 
into  the  future,  and  the  prospect  made  her  shudder. 
In  Paris  she  knew  what  manner  of  welcome  awaited 
them.  Monsieur  Lefevre  would  turn  from  them  both, 
as  he  would  not  turn  from  the  vilest  criminal. 

Their  names  would  be  held  up  to  scorn,  in  official 
254 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

circles  at  least.  If  the  public  ever  came  to  know  of 
the  affair,  she  knew  they  would  have  reason  to  fear 
for  their  very  safety. 

As  to  the  results  of  her  act,  as  to  what  the  secret 
of  the  lost  snuff  box  was,  that  made  Hartmann  de- 
clare its  value  to  be  priceless,  she  could  not  even  guess. 
That  it  must  have  some  diplomatic,  some  international 
significance,  she  fully  believed,  else  why  should  Mon- 
sieur Lefevre  have  declared  that  the  honor  of  France 
was  involved  ?  And  if  so  —  if  the  possession  of  the 
secret  by  Hartmann,  and  thus  by  the  foreign  country, 
whichever  one  it  might  be,  of  which  he  was  probably 
an  agent,  did  result  in  complications  of  a  vast  and 
terrible  nature,  involving  possibly  war,  or  loss  of  na- 
tional honor  and  prestige,  how  could  either  she  or  her 
husband  ever  again  hope  to  hold  up  their  heads,  to 
find  any  j  oy  and  happiness  in  life  ? 

Of  course,  there  was  America,  and  home,  but  even 
there  the  secret  would  in  time  become  known,  and 
Richard  would  find  that  those  who  had  been  his  friends 
in  high  places  would  turn,  from  him,  trusting  in  his 
honor,  his  integrity,  no  longer.  Even,  she  realized,  if 
the  affair  did  not  become  known,  at  home,  it  would 
stand  forever  between  them,  a  black  and  grinning 
shadow,  destroying  confidence,  happiness,  even  love 

255 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

itself.  She  had  failed  him  —  failed  her  husband  — 
done  what  he  had  forbidden  her  to  do,  and  he  had 
sworn  to  leave  her,  to  turn  from  her  forever,  if  she 
disobeyed  him.  Would  he  do  this,  she  wondered?  Or 
would  he  understand  that  what  she  had  done,  had  been 
for  his  sake,  for  the  sake  of  her  love  for  him  ? 

Presently  she  realized  that  the  train  was  slackening 
its  speed,  and  the  houses  which  began  to  appear  in  in- 
creasing numbers  outside  the  car  windows  told  her 
that  they  were  approaching  a  station.  She  looked  at 
her  railway  folder  and  then  consulted  her  watch.  It 
was  Manbenge,  the  point  at  which  they  left  Belgium 
and  entered  France.  The  train  drew  noisily  into  the 
station,  and  was  at  once  surrounded  by  the  usual 
crowd  of  passengers,  porters,  railway  and  customs  of- 
ficials, and  the  like.  Grace  watched  them  idly,  indif- 
ferently. Her  only  concern  was  that  they  should  not 
wake  her  husband  with  their  noisy  chatter. 

Presently  she  saw  a  small,  white-haired  figure  ap- 
proaching the  compartment  door.  At  first  she  paid  no 
attention  to  the  man,  supposing  him  to  be  a  belated 
passenger.  Then  she  was  struck  with  a  sudden 
familiarity  in  his  appearance.  She  started  back  in 
alarm  as  she  saw  that  it  was  Dufrenne,  and  that  he 
was  making  straight  for  the  compartment  in  which 

256 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

she  sat,  his  face  stern  and  angry.  Behind  him  she 
observed  two  gendarmes,  walking  with  their  charac- 
teristic jerky  stride. 

Dufrenne  had  been  a  mystery  to  her.  Until  their 
meeting  in  Dr.  Hartmann's  laboratory  that  morning, 
she  had  never  seen  him.  She  had  felt,  from  his 
words,  that  he,  too,  was  of  Monsieur  Lefevre's  staff, 
a  member  of  the  secret  police,  but  that  he  was  no 
friend  of  Richard's  or  of  hers,  she  very  well  knew. 
She  drew  back  further  into  the  dim  corner  of  the  com- 
partment, hoping  that  he  would  not  recognize  her. 

Her  hopes,  however,  were  in  vain.  Dufrenne  threw 
upon  the  door  of  the  carriage,  which  had  previously 
been  unlocked  by  the  guard,  and  followed  by  his  men, 
entered  the  compartment.  "  Here  is  the  fellow,"  he 
cried,  angrily,  pointing  to  Duvall.  "  Arrest  him." 

Grace  sprang  forward,  and  stood  between  the  men 
and  her  husband,  who  slept  on,  unconscious  of  the 
noise  about  him.  "  No  —  no !  "  she  cried,  in  a  tense 
whisper.  "  Let  him  alone.  You  shall  not  touch  him." 
In  her  desperation  she  drew  from  the  bosom  of  her 
dress  a  small  revolver  which  she  had  carried  ever  since 
she  left  Paris.  "  Keep  away,  I  tell  you.  You  shall 
not  arrest  my  husband." 

Dufrenne  confronted  her  with  an  angry  gesture. 
257 


"  You  fool !  "  he  cried.  "  Do  you  dare  to  disobey 
this?  "  He  held  before  her  eyes  a  silver  ring,  inlaid 
with  gold,  similar  to  the  one  she  wore  about  her  own 
neck.  "  I  am  a  member  of  the  secret  police,  as  you 
know.  This  man  is  a  traitor  to  his  duty,  and  for  that 
he  shall  be  punished.  Arrest  him,"  he  said  again  to 
his  men. 

Grace  recoiled,  and  dropped  the  revolver  she  held 
to  the  floor.  In  all  her  dread  of  the  future,  this  was 
something  upon  which  she  had  not  counted.  Her 
husband  arrested  —  possibly  shot,  or  condemned  to 
spend  years  in  some  frightful  military  prison.  She 
thought  of  Devil's  Island,  where  Dreyfus  had  been 
confined,  and  the  horror  of  the  situation  overcame  her. 
Unable  to  resist  longer,  she  sank  upon  the  seat  and 
burst  into  tears. 

The  two  gendarmes  awakened  Duvall  roughly,  and 
after  informing  him  that  he  was  a  prisoner,  sat 
grimly  down  on  either  side  of  him.  Dufrenne  toot 
the  seat  beside  Grace.  The  train  had  again  begun  to 
move  —  she  realized  that  they  were  once  more  flying 
toward  Paris. 

At  first  Duvall,  in  his  stupor  of  sleep,  did  not  real- 
ize what  had  happened,  but  in  a  few  moments  he  had 
grasped  the  situation.  He  did  not  seem  greatly  con- 

258 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

cerned  at  his  arrest,  and  Grace,  her  first  paroxysm 
of  weeping  having  passed,  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 
How  brave  he  is !  she  thought.  Once  she  caught  his 
eyes,  but  he  made  no  sign.  Apparently  he  was  re- 
signed to  his  fate. 

Dufrenne  turned  to  her  presently.  "  You,  ma- 
dame,  are  alao  under  arrest,"  he  remarked  coldly. 

"  You  hare  no  right  to  do  this  thing,"  she  ex- 
claimed. "  We  have  done  the  best  we  could." 

"  No ! "  cried  the  little  old  Frenchman,  his  bent 
shoulders  /straightening,  his  eyes  flashing  until  he  be- 
came a  stern  and  vengeful  figure.  "  No !  You  have 
not  done-  the  best  you  could.  Brave  men  —  and  brave 
women,  die  at  their  posts  of  duty.  You  are  cowards, 
both  of  you.  Had  I  been  in  your  place,  do  you  think 
I  would  have  given  in  —  do  you  think  I  would  have 
sold  the  honor  of  my  country !  M on  Dieu!  It  is  in- 
credible !  I  am  a  Frenchman,  madame,  and  I  have 
fought  for  France.  I  value  my  life  as  nothing, 
where  her  welfare  is  concerned.  I  would  have  died  a 
thousand  times,  died  as  Frenchmen  die,  with  *  Vive  La 
France,'  on  my  lips,  before  I  would  have  uttered  so 
much  as  a  single  word." 

She  made  no  reply  to  this.  In  his  anger,  the  fragile 
old  man  seemed  inspired  with  the  very  spirit  of  pa- 

259 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

triotism,  his  withered  cheeks  took  on  new  color,  his 
sunken  eyes  a  new  brightness.  She  felt  ashamed  — 
not  for  Richard,  for  he  had  spoken  only  when  she  had 
forced  him  to  do  so,  but  for  herself.  The  guilt  was 
hers.  She  was  glad  that  she,  too,  was  arrested,  that 
she  might  have  a  chance  to  go  before  Monsieur  Le- 
fevre  and  take  upon  her  shoulders  the  dishonor  which 
she  knew  belonged  there.  Silent,  she  shrank  back 
into  her  corner,  not  daring  to  look  up. 

"  Monsieur  Dufrenne,"  she  heard  Richard  saying, 
quietly,  "  be  so  good  as  to  remember  that  it  was  I, 
not  my  wife,  who  gave  the  snuff  box  to  Hartmann. 
You  have  seen  fit  to  place  me  under  arrest.  Very  well, 
I  will  tell  my  story  to  Monsieur  Lefevre  and  abide  by 
his  decision.  But  meanwhile,  I  beg  that  you  will  treat 
my  wife  with  courtesy  and  respect.  She  has  had  a 
very  trying  and  terrible  experience  and  I  do  not  won- 
der that  she  is  unnerved.  You  may  not  know  it, 
monsieur,  but  we  were  married  but  five  days  ago,  and 
this  — "  he  glanced  about  the  compartment  with  a  sad 
smile  — "  this,  monsieur,  is  our  honeymoon." 

The  Frenchman  sank  back,  all  his  anger  swept 
away.  "  It  is  pitiful,  monsieur,  pitiful,"  he  said, 
quietly.  "  Yet  in  what  I  now  do,  I  am  but  doing  my 
duty."  He  turned  to  Grace.  "  Madame,  I  feel  for 

260 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

you  in  your  suffering.  You  acted  through  love.  Of 
that  I  am  sure.  But  there  is  a  greater  love  than  that 
of  woman  for  man  —  the  love  of  country.  That  is 
the  only  love  I  understand."  He  turned  away  and  sat 
for  a  long  while  gazing  out  of  the  window. 

In  what  seemed  to  Grace  a  very  short  time,  they 
reached  Paris,  and  here  she  and  Richard  were  con- 
ducted to  a  taxicab  and  soon  found  themselves  at  the 
Prefecture. 

Dufrenne  left  them,  to  announce  his  arrival  to  Mon- 
sieur Lefevre,  and  she  and  her  husband  sat  in  an 
anteroom,  closely  guarded,  waiting  until  the  time 
should  arrive  for  them  to  be  summoned  before  the  Pre- 
fect. 

The  detective  was  still  silent  and  preoccupied.  He 
said  little,  but  •  from  the  caressing  way  in  which  he 
placed  his  hand  upon  hers,  bidding  her  cheer  up, 
Grace  knew  that  his  love  for  her,  at  least,  was  left  to 
her.  "  Oh,  Richard,"  she  said,  softly,  turning  her 
face  to  his,  "  I  am  so  sorry,  so  sorry !  But  I  could 
not  let  you  suffer,  dear,  for  I  love  you  —  I  love  you." 


261 


CHAPTER  XXII 

IT  was  characteristic  of  Monsieur  Etienne  Lefevre, 
Prefect  of  Police  of  Paris,  that  when  he  had  once 
placed  a  case  in  the  hands  of  one  of  his  men,  he  rarely 
ever  interfered  in  any  way  with  the  latter's  conduct 
of  it.  Reports  of  progress  he  did  not  desire,  nor  en- 
courage. Success  was  the  only  report  that  he  asked, 
and  by  thus  throwing  his  subordinates  upon  their 
own  responsibility,  he  obtained  from  them  far  better 
results  than  would  have  been  the  case  had  he  kept 
in  constant  touch  with  their  movements. 

Hence  when  he  dispatched  Richard  Duvall,  and 
Monsieur  Duf  renne,  the  little  curio  dealer  of  the  Rue 
de  Richelieu,  to  London,  and  the  former's  wife  and 
later  on  Lablanche  to  Brussels,  he  felt  that  he  had  done 
all  that  it  was  possible  to  do,  to  secure  the  recovery  of 
Monsieur  de  Grissac's  stolen  snuff  box. 

He  did  not,  it  is  true,  dismiss  the  matter  from  his 
mind  —  it  was,  indeed,  of  too  grave  and  sinister  a 
character  to  be  treated  thus  lightly,  but  he  had  the 

262 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

utmost  confidence  in  Duvall,  and  believed  that  the  lat- 
ter would  without  doubt  succeed  in  his  quest. 

Since  Duvall's  departure,  he  had  waited  anxiously 
for  the  detective's  appearance.  He  did  not  expect  to 
hear  from  him,  but  felt  convinced  that  within  the  next 
day  or  two  he  would  walk  into  his  office  with  the  miss- 
ing snuff  box  in  his  pocket. 

It  was  with  some  dismay,  therefore,  that  he  re- 
ceived, on  the  fourth  day,  a  sudden  visit  from  Du- 
frenne.  The  latter  had  been  released,  the  day  be- 
fore, by  the  Brussels  police,  after  a  most  uncomfort- 
able night  in  a  cell,  an  experience  for  which  he  knew 
he  had  Hartmann  to  thank,  and  in  desperation  had  de- 
cided to  place  the  condition  of  affairs  before  his  chief. 

The  latter  had  heard  him  in  silence,  and  then  fol- 
lowed a  long  conference,  with  the  result  that  Du- 
frenne  returned  to  Brussels,  bearing  the  mysterious 
message  subsequently  given  to  Grace  by  Lablanche, 
to  play  The  Rosary  upon  the  phonograph. 

Since  then,  the  Prefect  had  been  in  a  state  of  pro- 
found agitation,  although  he  carefully  concealed  the 
fact  from  his  subordinates.  The  gravity  of  the  is- 
sues at  stake  tortured  him  ceaselessly,  and  to  add  to 
his  discomfort,  Monsieur  de  Grissac  arrived  from 
London,  determined  to  ascertain  what  progress,  if  any, 

263 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

had  been  made  toward  the  recovery  of  his  lost  prop- 
erty. 

He  was  bitterly  disappointed  to  find  that  Lefevre 
was  unable  to  give  him  the  slightest  encouragement. 
The  box  had  not,  he  believed,  passed  into  the  hands 
of  their  enemies,  but  beyond  that  he  could  say  noth- 
ing. 

It  was  on  the  day  of  the  Ambassador's  arrival  that 
Dufrenne  appeared  at  the  Prefecture  a  second  time, 
his  face  pale  and  haggard,  his  eyes  bloodshot  and 
sunken  from  loss  of  sleep,  his  whole  manner  indicating 
that  he  had  lately  passed  through  some  terrible  ex- 
perience. De  Grissac  was  closeted  with  the  Prefect  at 
the  time,  but  the  man's  appearance,  his  urgent  request 
that  he  see  Monsieur  Lefevre  at  once,  gained  him  an 
immediate  audience. 

The  Prefect  and  the  Ambassador  stood  awaiting  his 
entrance,  their  faces  tense  with  anxiety.  The  expres- 
sion upon  the  old  man's  countenance  confirmed  their 
worst  fears.  He  staggered  into  the  room,  grasping 
the  back  of  a  chair  to  support  himself.  "  He  has 
given  it  up  —  the  scoundrel  —  the  traitor ;  he  has 
given  it  up,  to  save  himself  and  his  wife." 

The  Ambassador  turned  away  with  a  groan  of  de- 
spair. Lefevre  stepped  up  to  Dufrenne.  "  You 

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mean  to  tell  me,"  he  cried,  "that  Richard  Duvall  has 
proven  false  to  his  duty  ?     I  cannot  believe  it." 

Duf  renne  nodded.  "  He  gave  it  to  Hartmann  last 
night.  I  saw  him  do  it.  Hartmann  had  promised  to 
let  him  go  free.  They  had  been  torturing  him,  in 
some  way,  I  do  not  know  how.  It  was  the  woman 
who  weakened  first.  The  man  —  Dtivall  —  gave  up 
the  box  to  save  her  from  doing  so." 

"  Then  she  knew  where  it  was?  " 

"Yes." 

The  Prefect  went  over  to  the  window  and  looked 
•out  over  the  Seine.  His  emotions  almost  overcame 
him.  The  loss  of  the  box  —  Duvall's  faithlessness  — 
his  own  failure,  all  plunged  him  into  the  deepest  de- 
spair. "  Mon  Dieu! "  he  muttered  to  himself. 
"  Duvall  —  it  is  incredible !  " 

Suddenly  he  turned.  The  Ambassador  had  begun 
to  question  Dufrenne.  "  What  did  this  Dr.  Hart- 
mann do,  when  the  box  was  given  to  him  ?  "  he  asked 
in  a  voice  trembling  with  excitement. 

"  He  pressed  the  large  pearl,  pushed  aside  the 
cross,  and  removed  the  paper  that  was  hidden  beneath 
it.  He  read  the  paper.  It  contained  nothing  but  a 
row  of  numbers.  I  saw  it  as  he  held  it  beneath  the 
light." 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

De  Grissac  became  as  white  as  chalk,  and  turning 
to  Lefevre,  cried  out,  in  a  broken  voice,  "  It  is  all 
over.  Nothing  can  be  done  now.  It  is  too  late. 
Mon  Dieu!  What  will  become  of  France  ?  " 

"  Where  is  Duvall  ?  "  cried  the  Prefect,  suddenly. 
"  I  must  see  him.  He  is  not  the  man  to  do  such  a 
thing  as  this.  I  must  talk  to  him.  Do  not  tell  me 
that  he  has  run  away." 

"  No,  monsieur.  He  is  outside,  he  and  his  wife.  I 
have  placed  them  both  under  arrest." 

"  Were  they  attempting  to  escape  ?  " 

"  No,  monsieur.     They  were  coming  to  Paris." 

"  At  least,"  the  Prefect  remarked,  mournfully,  "  he 
is  not  cowardly  enough  for  that.  Bring  him  here  — 
bring  them  both  here  at  once.  I  must  question  them." 

Duf  renne  turned  to  the  door.  "  In  a  moment,  mon^ 
sieur,  they  will  be  before  you." 

"  What  can  it  avail  now  ?  "  said  De  Grissac,  sadly. 

"  We  shall  see.  I  never  condemn  a  man  without 
a  hearing."  As  he  spoke,  Duvall  and  Grace  came 
into  the  room. 

The  Prefect  looked  at  his  young  assistant  with  an 
expression  both  grave  and  sad.  He  had  always  been 
very  fond  of  Duvall  —  he  was  fond  of  him  still.  The 
whole  matter  had  hurt  him  very  deeply. 

266 


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"  Monsieur  Duvall,"  he  said,  without  further  pre- 
liminaries, "  Monsieur  Duf  renne  tells  me  that  you, 
after  recovering  Monsieur  de  Grissac's  snuff  box  from 
Dr.  Hartmann,  deliberately  returned  it  to  him  last 
night,  in  order  to  secure  your  liberty  and  that  of  your 
wife.  Is  this  true  ?  " 

"  Yes."  Duvall's  voice  was  calm,  even,  emotion- 
less. "  It  is  true." 

Lefevre  recoiled  as  though  he  had  received  a  blow. 
"  Can  you  dare  to  come  before  me,  and  tell  me  such 
a  thing  as  that?  " 

"  It  was  my  fault,  Monsieur  Lefevre,"  cried  Grace, 

going  up  to  him.     "  Richard  begged  me  not  to  tell 

—  commanded  me  not  to  tell,  but  they  were  torturing 

him  —  they  were  driving  him  mad.     Oh,  I  could  not 

stand  it  —  I  could  not !  " 

"  You  should  have  considered  your  duty,  madame, 
not  your  husband,"  remarked  the  Prefect,  coldly, 
then  turned  to  Duvall. 

"  Young  man,"  he  said,  "  you  have  done  a  ter- 
rible thing  —  perhaps  even  now,  you  do  not  realize 
how  terrible  a  thing.  I  regret  that  I  did  not  inform 
you  at  the  time  I  placed  the  case  in  your  hands,  but 
the  matter  is  one  which,  at  all  costs,  I  wished  to  have 
remain  a  secret.  Now  it  makes  little  difference. 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Monsieur  de  Grissac  has  for  many  months  been  carry- 
ing on  with  the  Foreign  Office  a  correspondence  re- 
garding the  relations  of  France  and  England  in  the 
matter  of  Morocco.  Many  details  of  action  have 
been  settled  which,  in  the  event  of  certain  eventuali- 
ties, would  constitute  the  joint  policy  of  the  two 
nations.  I  need  hardly  say  that  these  details  and 
policies  are  of  such  a  nature  as  to  cause,  if  known, 
an  immediate  declaration  of  war  by  the  third  nation 
involved.  This  correspondence,  Monsieur  de  Grissac, 
unwilling  to  trust  to  the  ordinary  cipher  in  use  for 
such  purposes,  carried  on  in  a  code  of  his  own;  one 
which  he  regarded  as  absolutely  proof  against  all  at- 
tempts at  solution.  That  desperate  attempts  to  ob- 
tain copies  of  the  correspondence  would  be  made  he 
well  knew,  and  in  spite  of  all  precautions,  our  enemies, 
by  bribing  a  subordinate,  did,  some  time  ago,  manage 
to  secure  copies  of  many  of  the  most  important  letters 
and  documents.  Their  attempts  at  reading  them, 
however,  were  fruitless.  Without  the  cipher,  and  its 
key,  they  could  do  nothing. 

"  How  they  ultimately  learned  that  the  key  and 
the  cipher  were  contained  in  the  ivory  snuff  box, 
we  do  not  know.  Perhaps  through  Noel,  the  Am- 

268 


THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

bassador's  servant,  although  Monsieur  de  Grlssac  is 
positive  that  he  never,  under  any  circumstances,  made 
use  of  the  cipher  in  the  presence  of  a  third  person. 
That  they  did  learn  the  whereabouts  of  the  cipher, 
however,  we  now  realize  only  too  well.  When  I  told 
you  that  in  the  missing  snuff  box  lay  not  only  my 
honor,  but  the  honor  of  France,  I  indulged  in  no 
extravagant  statements.  It  is  the  solemn  truth. 
Even  now,  by  means  of  the  snuff  box  and  key  which 
you  have  delivered  to  them,  our  enemies  have  no  doubt 
read  the  stolen  documents,  and  are  preparing  to  strike 
while  we  are  as  yet  unprepared."  He  strode  up  and 
down  the  room  in  a  state  of  extreme  excitement.  "  As 
a  last  desperate  chance,  I  attempted  to  send  you  a 
message  by  means  of  the  phonograph  record.  I 
hoped  you  might,  in  this  way,  learn  the  secret  of 
the  box,  and  by  destroying  the  key,  render  it  use- 
less. If  you  hesitated  to  do  this,  fearing  that,  snould 
Hartmann  discover  the  key  was  missing  he  would  re- 
fuse to  liberate  you,  you  are  worse  than  a  traitor. 
You  are  a  contemptible  coward.  Let  me  tell  you, 
Monsieur  Duvall,  if  I  had  a  son,  I  should  rather  have 
struck  him  dead  at  my  feet,  than  have  had  him  fail 
me  in  a  crisis  like  this." 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

Grace  began  to  weep,  hysterically.  "  It  was  all  my 
fault,"  she  began.  "  I  told  them  the  box  was  hidden 
in  the  room  below,  against  my  husband's  wishes." 

"  Where  were  you,  then,  that  you  say  '  in  the  room 
below?  '  "  asked  Lefevre  suddenly. 

"  In  the  laboratory,  on  the  second  floor.  My  hus- 
band was  confined  in  the  basement.  I  said  I  would 
tell  —  for  they  were  killing  him.  He  cried  out  to 
me  —  forbidding  me  to  do  so.  Then  they  took  me 
away  to  the  room  above." 

"  And  left  your  husband  alone,  with  the  snuff  box 
in  his  possession?"  demanded  the  Prefect,  sternly. 

«  Yes." 

"For  how  long?" 

"  About  —  about  ten  minutes,"  she  replied,  won- 
dering at  his  question. 

"  And  you,"  exclaimed  the  Prefect,  in  a  voice  of 
fury,  turning  on  Duvall,  "  were  left  alone  in  this  room, 
with  the  snuff  box  in  your  possession,  for  ten  min- 
utes, at  the  end  of  which  time  you  calmly  turned  it 
over  to  this  fellow  Hartmann.  M on  Dieu!  Why  did 
you  not  destroy  it  —  crush  it  under  your  heel  — 
anything,  to  prevent  our  enemies  from  obtaining  pos- 
session of  it?  "  He  looked  at  Duvall,  his  face  work- 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

ing  convulsively.  "  You  —  you  are  a  —  sacre  bleu! 
—  I  cannot  tell  you  what  I  think  of  you." 

"  Monsieur  de  Grissac,"  asked  Duvall,  his  face 
white,  "  had  I  destroyed  the  box,  or  even  only  the 
key,  could  you  have  read  these  documents  yourself?  " 

The  Ambassador  gazed  at  him,  puzzled  for  a  mo- 
ment. "  Certainly  not,  monsieur,"  he  replied.  "  I 
could  no  more  have  solved  the  cipher  than  they 
could.  It  was  for  that  reason  that  I  was  forced  to 
carry  the  key  about  with  me.  But  it  would  have  been 
infinitely  better,  had  the  documents  never  again  been 
read,  than  to  have  them  read  by  our  enemies." 

Without  making  any  reply,  Duvall  placed  his  hand 
in  his  pocket  and  drew  out,  between  his  thumb  and 
forefinger,  a  tiny  white  pellet,  no  larger  than  the  head 
of  a  match.  "  You  are  no  doubt  acquainted,  Mon- 
sieur de  Grissac,"  he  said,  coolly,  "  with  your  own 
handwriting." 

"My  handwriting!  Naturally.  What  of  it?" 
He  went  toward  the  detective,  an  eager  look  in  his 
face.  Lefevre,  Dufrenne,  and  Grace  also  crowded 
about,  their  expressions  showing  the  interest  which  Du- 
vall's  questions  had  aroused. 

The  detective  began  to  unroll  the  little  white  pel- 
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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

let  with  the  utmost  deliberation.  It  presently  be- 
came a  tiny  strip  of  tissue  paper,  not  over  two  and 
a  half  inches  long,  upon  which  was  written  a  series 
of  numbers.  "  Is  that,  then,  your  handwriting,  mon- 
sieur? "  he  inquired  carelessly,  as  he  placed  the  strip 
of  paper  in  De  Grissac's  trembling  hand. 

"  Mon  Dieu!  The  key !  "  fairly  shouted  the  Am- 
bassador, as  his  eyes  fell  upon  the  bit  of  paper. 
"  Monsieur  Duvall,  what  does  this  mean  ?  " 

"  It  means,  monsieur,"  replied  the  detective,  coolly, 
"  that  while  I  was  left  alone  in  the  room  downstairs, 
I  tore  off  the  lower  half  of  your  key,  which  luckily, 
was  a  sufficient  width  to  enable  me  to  do  so,  and  with 
a  fountain  pen  I  had  in  my  pocket,  wrote  upon  this 
second  slip  of  paper  a  series  of  numbers  taken  at 
random.  This  series  I  placed  in  the  secret  recess  in 
the  box.  I  do  not  think  it  will  prove  of  much  use  to 
our  friends  in  Brussels." 

"  Duvall ! "  cried  Lefevre,  rushing  forward  with 
outstretched  hands.  "  Forgive  me  —  forgive  me !  " 
He  was  not  quick  enough,  however,  to  forestall  Grace, 
who  with  one  cry  of  happiness  had  flung  herself  into 
her  husband's  arms.  "  Richard !  "  she  cried,  and  then 
sank  sobbing  but  happy  upon  his  breast. 

Monsieur  Lefevre  seized  his  assistant  by  the  arm 
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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

and  began  to  shake  his  hand  in  a  way  which  almost 
threatened  to  dislocate  the  young  man's  shoulder. 
"  My  boy,"  he  cried,  laughing  and  crying  at  the  same 
time,  "  forgive  me  —  forgive  me.  I  was  hasty.  I 
should  have  let  you  speak,  first.  God  be  praised, 
everything  is  well.  De  Grissac  —  think  of  it  —  they 
will  puzzle  their  brains  over  that  cipher  for  weeks 
and  weeks  and  they  will  discover  nothing  —  nothing ! 
Is  it  not  splendid !  "  He  grasped  the  Ambassador's 
hand  and  embraced  him  with  ardor.  "  Magnificent ! 
Superb !  " 

The  Ambassador  was  no  less  overj  oyed.  "  Young 
man,"  he  said,  "  we  owe  you  the  deepest  apologies. 
No  one  could  have  done  better.  I  thank  you  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart."  Dufrenne  also  offered  his 
congratulations.  "  My  friend,"  he  said,  "  I  have 
done  you  a  great  injustice.  I  salute  you,  not  only  as 
a  brave  man,  but  as  a  very  shrewd  one.  As  for  me, 
I  fear  I  am  only  an  old  fool." 

Duvall  patted  the  old  man  on  the  shoulder  and 
smiled.  "  A  patriot,  monsieur,  and  for  that  I  honor 
you.  I  was  luckily  able  to  turn  the  tables  on  these 
fellows.  But  one  thing  you,  and  all  of  you,  gentle- 
men, should  know.  Had  I  not  been  able  to  substitute 
a  false  key  for  the  real  one,  the  latter  would  never 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

have  passed  into  Hartmann's  hands,  if  I  had  died  for 
it." 

"  I  know  it,  my  friend.  I  was  a  fool,  a  dolt,  even 
for  one  moment  to  doubt  it.  I  ask  jour  pardon,  and 
that  of  madame,  your  wife,"  cried  Lefevre,  seizing 
Duvall's  hands  in  his.  Grace  looked  proudly  at  her 
husband,  her  knowledge  of  her  own  weakness  for- 
gotten in  the  triumph  that  he  had  won. 

"  And  now,  monsieur,"  said  Duvall,  with  a  look  of 
happiness  in  his  face  as  he  caught  his  wife's  glance, 
"  with  your  permission,  Mrs.  Duvall  and  myself  will 
begin  once  more  our  interrupted  honeymoon." 

The  Prefect  put  his  arm  about  the  detective's  shoul- 
der, and  gave  him  an  affectionate  hug.  "  My  poor 
children,"  he  cried,  smiling  at  Grace.  "  In  my  excite- 
ment, my  happiness,  I  had  completely  forgotten  that 
you  are  only  just  married.  And  such  a  honeymoon 
as  you  have  had.  It  is  indeed  shameful,  and  the 
fault  is  mine  —  mine  alone.  But  I  shall  make 
amends,  my  children.  You  have  rendered  both  me, 
and  France,  a  great  service,  and  I  do  not  forget  it. 
I  insist  that  to-night  you  shall  dine  with  me.  You, 
De  Grissac,"  he  exclaimed,  turning  to  the  Ambassador, 
"  will,  I  know,  be  one  of  the  party.  And  it  is  not 
alone  for  the  purpose  of  dining  that  I  ask  you,  your 


service  to  France  shall  be  acknowledged  in  a  more 
substantial  way.  Monsieur  de  Grissac  and  myself 
will  have  the  honor  to  present  to  you,  Monsieur  Du- 
vall,  and  to  your  charming  bride,  some  tokens  of  our 
gratitude  and  esteem.  After  that  —  go  —  enjoy 
your  happiness.  You  have  earned  it."  He  glanced 
at  his  watch.  "  Madame,  you  are  fatigued.  You 
need  rest  —  sleep.  I  insist  that  you  permit  me  to 
send  you  to  my  house,  where  Madame  Lefevre  will 
have  the  honor  to  receive  you,  and  make  you  com- 
fortable. You,  Duvall,  can  in  the  meantime  make 
your  arrangements  for  leaving  Paris  to-night,  and 
also  secure  your  baggage  from  the  pension  in  the  Rue 
LubecJc  where  it  awaits  you.  I  myself  will  accompany 
you,  and  render  you  any  assistance  in  my  power;  we 
will  then  rejoin  your  wife  at  my  house,  where  Mon- 
sieur de  Grissac  will  meet  us  in  time  for  dinner.  What 
do  you  say  ?  " 

Grace  clung  to  her  husband's  arm.  "  I'm  afraid  to 
leave  him,  even  for  a  minute,"  she  said. 

Duvall  pressed  her  hand,  and  noted  her  swollen 
eyes,  her  white  and  drawn  cheeks.  "  You  have  had 
a  terrible  night,  dear,"  he  said,  kissing  her,  "  and 
you  must  have  a  few  hours'  rest.  Go  to  Monsieur 
Lefevre's  house,  and  lie  down  and  sleep  for  a  little 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

while.  You  are  so  nervous  you  can  scarcely  stand. 
I  will  not  be  long." 

She  gave  his  arm  a  little  squeeze,  then  turned  to 
the  Prefect.  "  I  thank  you,  monsieur,  and  since  my 
husband  thinks  it  best,  I  will  gladly  go  to  your  house 
at  once.  Good-by,  Richard."  She  accompanied 
Monsieur  Lefevre  to  the  door. 

Two  hours  later,  Duvall,  having  made  all  arrange- 
ments for  leaving  Paris  for  London  that  night,  de- 
scended from  the  Prefect's  automobile  at  the  latter's 
house  in  the  Rue  de  Courcelles.  Within  an  hour 
they  had  been  joined  by  Monsieur  de  Grissac  and 
were  all  seated  about  Monsieur  Lefevre's  hospitable 
board.  Everyone  was  in  jubilant  spirits,  and  in  the 
happiness  of  the  moment  all  the  suffering  of  the  past 
week  was  forgotten.  De  Grissac  presented  to  the 
bride  a  magnificent  diamond  crescent,  and  to  Duvall 
a  gold  cigarette-case  of  exquisite  design  and  work- 
manship, while  Monsieur  Lefevre,  not  to  be  outdone, 
placed  in  Grace's  hand  a  rare  lace  shawl  which,  he 
assured  her,  had  been  worn  by  a  Marquise  under  the 
Empire.  To  Duvall  he  gave  a  seal  ring,  with  the 
arms  of  France  engraved  upon  a  setting  of  jade. 
"  It  belonged  to  my  father,"  he  said,  simply.  "  With 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

me  it  is  a  talisman ;  you  will  never  ask  any  favor  from 
me  in  vain." 

When  M.  Lefevre  came  at  last  to  say  good-by  to 
Duvall  and  his  wife,  there  were  tears  of  real  sorrow 
in  his  eyes.  He  had  no  children  of  his  own,  and  the 
happiness  of  his  two  young  friends  had  been  his  hap- 
piness as  well.  The  thought  that  he  might  never  see 
them  again  left  him  with  a  great  sense  of  loneliness. 

"  Good-by,  my  dear  boy,"  he  said,  grasping  Du- 
vall's  hand  in  both  of  his,  as  he  stood  beside  the  door 
of  the  automobile  which  was  to  take  the  happy  pair 
to  the  railway  station.  "  When  you  settle  down  upon 
that  little  farm  in  your  own  country,  and  raise  the 
chickens,  and  the  pigs,  and,  may  I  also  venture  to 
hope  " —  he  smiled  meaningly  at  Grace  — "  the  chil- 
dren, do  not  forget  your  old  friend  Lefevre." 

Duvall  pressed  his  hand,  while  Grace  hid  her  blushes 
in  the  darkness  of  the  cab. 

"  I  shall  never  forget,  monsieur,  that  to  you  I  owe 
the  possession  of  the  sweetest  and  best  wife  in  the 
world.  We  shall  meet  again,  I  promise  you." 

"  Good !  I  shall  hold  you  to  the  promise,  mon  ami. 
And  if  you  do  not  keep  it  " —  he  pointed  his  finger  im- 
pressively at  the  pair  in  the  cab  — "  I  shall  send  for 

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THE  IVORY  SNUFF  BOX 

you  to  assist  me  in  the  next  difficult  case  which  puzzles 
me,  and  voila!  The  thing  is  done.  You  would  not 
dare  to  fail  me,  should  I  call  upon  you  for  assistance." 

He  took  Grace's  hand  and  kissed  it  with  old  time 
courtliness,  then  slapped  Duvall  upon  the  shoulder. 

"  Go  now,  my  children.  If  you  stay  longer  I  shall 
be  unable  to  restrain  my  tears." 

As  the  automobile  turned  the  corner  below,  its  occu- 
pants saw  the  old  gentleman  still  standing  on  the  side- 
walk, gazing  after  them  and  waving  his  handkerchief 
in  farewell. 

"  Dear  old  Lefevre,"  said  Duvall,  as  he  drew  Grace 
to  him  and  kissed  her. 


278 


